WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a field hearing in West Palm Beach Tuesday, where survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse testified publicly and called on lawmakers and the Justice Department to take action.
The hearing drew national attention as survivors — some speaking on the record for the first time — shared their experiences and demanded answers about why more than 2 million investigative files remain unreleased, despite a law passed last year requiring they be made public.
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Survivor Dani Bensky addressed the committee directly.
"What does accountability look like? Removing perpetrators from power, seeing arrests be made," Bensky said.
Another survivor, appearing only under her first name, Roza, described living in fear.
"I cannot live without looking over my shoulder," Roza said.
Roza also spoke about a painful consequence of the partial file releases — one that exposed victims while shielding Epstein's associates.
"I kept my identity protected as Jane Doe. I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times. While the rich and powerful remain protected by redaction, my name was exposed to the world," Roza said.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico asked the women directly what justice would look like to them, and while all were doubtful they would ever see justice, Roza offered this response:
"I appreciate you asking that question, but I don't know, that's your job. You guys have to figure out how to make justice, not me. And you can't give me justice. When I came to this country, I thought, something's going to be different. And I am shocked that this is happening here in the United States. You keep on saying this is the worst case in the United States, but it's not. It's the worst case in the world."
WATCH: 'You can't give me justice'
When asked by Rep. Summer Lee whether any survivor had felt protected or seen or heard by the government, the answer from the room was swift.
"No ma'am," a survivor responded.
Rep. Robert Garcia pressed for further action from the executive branch.
"We continue to demand that the president force his DOJ to do the right thing by the survivors, and to ensure that we get the truth and justice," Garcia said.
Lawmakers also called for recorded testimony from former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who oversaw the files that were released.
Rep. Lois Frankel, who joined the Oversight Democrats at the hearing, said she chose West Palm Beach — in Epstein's and President Trump's backyard — because she wants answers from former local officials who allowed Epstein to avoid serious charges 20 years ago.
"Why did Jeffrey Epstein get the deal that he got, and why were the survivors so mistreated in the grand jury room?" Frankel said.
When asked if President Trump broke his promise to help survivors, Jena-Lisa Jones responded: "He's broken many promises."
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