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Epstein Survivors Praise House Panel After Leon Black Contempt Vote (9/18/26) · The Vault: The Epstein Files

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up everyone and welcome to another episode of the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Epstein Chronicles. Now that Congress has held Leon Black in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: contempt for his nonsense when it comes to Epstein and
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: refusing to hand over the documents that they requested, Epstein's
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: survivors are coming out and praising Congress for their work.
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  Speaker 1: And that's certainly a change from what we're used to hearing.
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  Speaker 1: And I'll get on board with that. As much as
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: I've been critical of Congress and their work... This is
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: a good job. This is what they should be doing.
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  Speaker 1: And it shouldn't just be Leon Black that's held accountable,
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  Speaker 1: by the way. Because just about every single person that's
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: gotten up there and talked to that committee has told
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: them lies. So I would like to see more accountability.
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  Speaker 1: And I'd like to see more of those stories tested
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  Speaker 1: rigorously against the truth. And that's what Congress should be doing.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: And considering they're not doing it with the vast majority
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: of these people, that's why I'm so critical. But When
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: someone does something good, we have to offer them praise
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: as well. And I think this is something that we
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  Speaker 1: should be offering Congress praise for, especially considering that it
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  Speaker 1: went to the full vote and it was uncontested. So
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  Speaker 1: the whole entire House decided that this is not a
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  Speaker 1: fight they want to have. And instead, they decided to
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  Speaker 1: refer Leon Black to the Justice Department. So today we
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  Speaker 1: have an article from The Guardian and the headline, Epstein
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  Speaker 1: Survivors Praise House Panel Over Leon Black Contempt Vote. This
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  Speaker 1: article was authored by Anna Betts. More than a dozen
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  Speaker 1: survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse praise the House Oversight Committee
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  Speaker 1: for unanimously voting to recommend that billionaire investor Leon Black
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  Speaker 1: be held in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas
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  Speaker 1: by the panel seeking his testimony and non-disclosure agreements as
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  Speaker 1: part of its investigation into Epstein. And look, everybody wants
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: this to be so political, and unfortunately, the nature of
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: it is. But that doesn't mean we have to pick sides.
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  Speaker 1: Can't we just look at this neutral and say, hey, look,
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  Speaker 1: this side's being shitty or that side's being shitty and
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  Speaker 1: they have to be called out. Why do we have
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: to retreat into bunkers for every single topic? Now, look,
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  Speaker 1: I understand certain issues, right? I'm not naive. You want
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: to talk about abortion, this, that, the other thing. Cool.
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  Speaker 1: I get it. People are going to retreat into bunkers.
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  Speaker 1: But this issue, how the fuck are we not coming
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  Speaker 1: together as one group? to make sure people like Leon
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  Speaker 1: Black are held accountable for whatever he's up to. And
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  Speaker 1: I don't just mean the allegations about abuse, but what
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  Speaker 1: about everything else? If you and I have to spend
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: every day worried about the government coming after us if
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  Speaker 1: we don't do what they tell us to do, why
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  Speaker 1: should Leon Black be able to do whatever he wants
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  Speaker 1: to do? Because he has more money than me? Well,
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  Speaker 1: fuck that, fuck them, and fuck anybody who believes that.
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  Speaker 1: Because at this point, it's the people versus the predators.
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  Speaker 1: And when I say predators... I mean predators. We commend
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  Speaker 1: Chairman Comer for showing real resolve and pursuing accountability in
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  Speaker 1: the Epstein investigation, the survivors said in a statement. They
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  Speaker 1: said that the 41-0 vote sends a clear message that
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  Speaker 1: wealth and influence do not put anyone beyond the reach
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  Speaker 1: of congressional oversight. Well, I wish that was really true, right?
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  Speaker 1: I wish that Congress would do more. But this is
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  Speaker 1: certainly a step in the right direction, so I'm not
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  Speaker 1: going to rain on the parade. I think that We
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  Speaker 1: need to continue doing things like this, and I think
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  Speaker 1: more people need to be referred to the DOJ. And
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  Speaker 1: I think one of those people for sure, or two
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  Speaker 1: of those people, are in Daikin Con. Without a doubt.
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  Speaker 1: And also, how come we haven't heard from Nadia Marcinkova
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  Speaker 1: or Adriana Ross? Probably a decent idea to get them
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  Speaker 1: up onto the old chair and have a conversation with them.
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  Speaker 1: You would think they'd know a little bit about what
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  Speaker 1: went on. How about Bella Klein? How about Harry Beller?
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  Speaker 1: Survivors have fought for years to bring the truth about
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  Speaker 1: Epstein's network into the open and have helped create this
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  Speaker 1: moment of accountability, they added. Congress now has an opportunity
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  Speaker 1: to build on that work by following the investigative leads
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  Speaker 1: contained in the Epstein files wherever they go and demanding
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  Speaker 1: answers from the powerful people connected to them. That is
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  Speaker 1: like the basic floor-level communication amount of work that should
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: be done. But it's never really been done. And that's
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  Speaker 1: my biggest problem. If this was a robust investigation from
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  Speaker 1: the jump and we had the documentation backing that up,
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  Speaker 1: I wouldn't have even half as much to say. But
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  Speaker 1: all the people that were involved, all the people that
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  Speaker 1: were accused, none of them were even talked to. So
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  Speaker 1: you have the FBI and the DOJ just going after
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  Speaker 1: Epstein and Maxwell when they know that there's all these
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  Speaker 1: other threads Ask yourself why. And if you're somebody that
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  Speaker 1: wants to look for a cover-up or a conspiracy, this
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: is it. You don't need Egyptian planes. You don't need Sasquatches.
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  Speaker 1: You don't need the flat Earth. What you need is
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  Speaker 1: to take a look at the Epstein files. The vote
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  Speaker 1: on Tuesday marked the latest escalation in the dispute between
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  Speaker 1: the committee and Black, whose name came up repeatedly in
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  Speaker 1: the Epstein files and who, as reported by the New
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: York Times, paid Epstein a total of $ 170 million. for
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: what he described as tax estate planning services from 2013
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  Speaker 1: to 2017. The contempt resolution now goes to the Full
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  Speaker 1: House for consideration if Speaker Mike Johnson permits a vote,
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  Speaker 1: and we know that it passed, okay? The Full House,
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  Speaker 1: every single member, voted for it. Black has repeatedly denied
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  Speaker 1: any wrongdoing and said he had no knowledge of Epstein's
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  Speaker 1: criminal activities. Sure, sure, sure. No problem. We believe you.
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  Speaker 1: You had no idea, Mr. Leon Black. No clue what
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  Speaker 1: your buddy Epstein was up to, after he was already
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  Speaker 1: a sexual offender. Okay, sure. He voluntarily appeared before the
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  Speaker 1: committee for a transcribed interview in June, but the session
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  Speaker 1: ended abruptly after lawmakers from both parties said that Black
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  Speaker 1: refused to answer questions about the NDAs. The committee, chaired
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  Speaker 1: by a Republican representative, James Comer, then issued two subpoenas,
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  Speaker 1: one demanding that Black produce all NDAs, to which he
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  Speaker 1: is a party, and another requiring him to appear before
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  Speaker 1: the committee again for a deposition. Well, how'd that work out?
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  Speaker 1: Leon Black did what Leon Black always does, and that
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  Speaker 1: is whatever he wants. And when you have that kind
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  Speaker 1: of money, you can go and buy billions of dollars
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  Speaker 1: of artwork. You really think you care what the Senate
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  Speaker 1: has to say to you? This man will drag this
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  Speaker 1: shit out until the cows come home. Now, I really
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  Speaker 1: hope that Congress is ready to get into the backyard
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  Speaker 1: and brawl with this dude like Kimbo Slice. No half-stepping,
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  Speaker 1: no half-measures, full-on warfare. The full power of the United
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  Speaker 1: States government. That's what I want to see used against
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  Speaker 1: Leon Black, just like they do against drug dealers or
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: people they say are engaging in, you know, illegal gambling,
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  Speaker 1: because I've seen that firsthand. And they have no remorse,
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  Speaker 1: they have no shame, and they will ruin your life.
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  Speaker 1: But Leon Black, I guess, different story. Maybe my loved
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  Speaker 1: one should have been able to afford Susan Estrich as
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  Speaker 1: an attorney. Black did not appear for his scheduled September
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  Speaker 1: 3rd deposition and did not produce all of the NDAs
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  Speaker 1: sought by the committee. He instead sued Comer and the committee,
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  Speaker 1: arguing that the subpoenas were invalid and exceeded the committee's
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  Speaker 1: delegated authority in seeking private information that bears no legitimate
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  Speaker 1: connection to its legislative purpose. In other words, go get fucked.
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  Speaker 1: And that's what that means, okay? Translation, that's what that means.
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  Speaker 1: He also argued that the subpoenas would expose women who
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  Speaker 1: value their privacy, who have no known or public connection
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  Speaker 1: to Epstein. Oh, these women, man, you know, he's really
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  Speaker 1: protecting them. As I said in a previous episode, a
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  Speaker 1: real champion of the women. Who the fuck is believing
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  Speaker 1: that shit? Leon Black, this dude's out here cheating on
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  Speaker 1: his wife while she's sick right across the street. Hell
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  Speaker 1: of a guy, that Leon Black, a real feminist. Attorneys
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  Speaker 1: representing Black had asked for a postponement of the committee's
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  Speaker 1: markup earlier on Tuesday and described it as a complete abomination. No,
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: that's your client's behavior. That's a complete abomination, okay? And
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: not just his behavior with Epstein, but in general. Apollo Global,
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: one of the worst fucking companies in the history of
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  Speaker 1: the world. What they did to Caesar's Palace is absolutely disgusting.
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  Speaker 1: And now they got their dirty ass hands all over
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  Speaker 1: the Venetian Sands Corporation. And I haven't stepped one foot
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  Speaker 1: inside of that place since Apollo took over. And I
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  Speaker 1: have no plans on going back. I won't spend any
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: of my money with Apollo Global. I don't just talk
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  Speaker 1: the talk. I walk the walk. And if you think
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: I'm giving any money to these people, you got another
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  Speaker 1: thing coming. The lawyers also described the subpoenas as illegitimate, illegal,
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  Speaker 1: and a textbook abuse of power designed to bully and
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  Speaker 1: destroy legal protections of private citizens. and reiterated that Black
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: never abused a woman, was never blackmailed by Epstein, and
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  Speaker 1: had no knowledge of any of Epstein's heinous conduct. On Wednesday,
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  Speaker 1: a day after the vote, Comer announced the introduction of
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  Speaker 1: the Survivors Voice Protection Act legislation, his office said, would
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  Speaker 1: ensure survivors can speak freely about sexual abuse, even if
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  Speaker 1: they signed a nondisclosure agreement. And again, good on James Comer.
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  Speaker 1: As much as I break his chops, this is a
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  Speaker 1: good move. And it's a move in the right direction.
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  Speaker 1: And I think that everybody should back it. The legislation
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  Speaker 1: is a result of the Oversight Committee's review of the
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  Speaker 1: federal investigation into Epstein and Maxwell's crimes. His office added,
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  Speaker 1: In a statement on Wednesday, Comer said, the federal government
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  Speaker 1: for decades failed the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine
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  Speaker 1: Maxwell's crimes. We sadly cannot undo the harm and abuse
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  Speaker 1: inflicted upon these women, However, we have an obligation to
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  Speaker 1: take action to reform our laws to ensure survivors are
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  Speaker 1: protected and abusers can be held accountable. Better late than never.
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  Speaker 1: Better late than never. And I think it's time that
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  Speaker 1: we really have something like this on the books. Republican
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  Speaker 1: Representatives Nancy Mace, Virginia Fox, Lauren Boebert, and Ana Paulina
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  Speaker 1: Luna joined the bill as original co-sponsors. The committee says
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  Speaker 1: that it's conducted in 19 depositions and transcribed interviews thus
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: far as part of its review of the federal government's
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  Speaker 1: investigation of Epstein and Maxwell, and that it has released
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  Speaker 1: around 65,000 pages of documents from the Epstein estate, U.S.
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  Speaker 1: Department of Justice, and interview transcripts, and also obtained Epstein's
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: bank records. Well, can we follow the money to the destination, please?
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  Speaker 1: You mean to tell me there was no financial malfeasance?
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  Speaker 1: Give me a break already. Additionally, in June, Comer referred
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  Speaker 1: two men to the Department of Justice for further investigation
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  Speaker 1: after Sarah Kellen, a former assistant of Epstein's, and co-conspirator
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  Speaker 1: by the way, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by
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  Speaker 1: them in the years that she worked for Epstein. Neither
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  Speaker 1: men have been charged with a crime related to Epstein
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  Speaker 1: and both have denied any wrongdoing and the allegations against them. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: they should be charged. Let's see that robust investigation I
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: was talking about, and let's get cracking. Over the summer,
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  Speaker 1: the Guardian asked the DOJ for an update on this,
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: to which a DOJ spokesperson told the Guardian that they
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  Speaker 1: had forwarded the letter from Comer about the two individuals
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  Speaker 1: to the FBI. If, during the course of their review,
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: FBI encounters of evidence of a federal crime, they will
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  Speaker 1: investigate that matter, a DOJ spokesperson told the Guardian in July.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: When asked for an update in late August, the DOJ
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: spokesperson said the July statement still stands. The FBI did
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Guardian
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  Speaker 1: this month about the matter. And if it's an open investigation,
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  Speaker 1: they're not going to. But I just have my doubts
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  Speaker 1: that they're doing the right thing. And that's because their
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: behavior tells us they don't care. So there has to
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: be some kind of checks and balances here. And maybe
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: Congress can ask for an update about what's going on
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: with their referrals. Because you know the DOJ and the
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: FBI They're not going to give it up willingly. So
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  Speaker 1: it's going to be a battle. And hopefully Congress is
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  Speaker 1: up for it. As for us, well, we're going to
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: continue swimming through this muck looking for the clarity. And
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: when we have something else to add to this story,
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: we'll get that added to the catalog as well. All
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: the information that goes with this episode can be found
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: in the description box.