Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are calling on first lady Melania Trump to testify before the panel the day after she denied knowing anything about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.
In a rare public statement at the White House, Mrs. Trump called the deceased financier “disgraceful” and denied having any relationship with him and his longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence.
The first lady acknowledged a “casual” email she sent Maxwell in 2002, which was included in the trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its investigation into Epstein. In the email, the former Ms. Knauss told Maxwell that she looked “great” in a New York magazine photo, calling her “Dear G!” and expressing a desire to meet up.
“If the first lady wants to clear her name, she should come before the Oversight Committee and testify under oath,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Virginia Democrat, on Thursday. “Otherwise, this is just a shameless book promotion.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett said House Oversight Democrats have “been calling for a hearing for months.”
“Enough with the cover-up. Melania needs to speak with Chairman [James] Comer about making this happen. The survivors deserve justice,” the Texas Democrat said on social media Thursday.
In her speech, Mrs. Trump said, “Now is the time for Congress to act.
“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress, with the power of sworn testimony,” she said. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record.”
The request comes amid the committee’s ongoing probe into Epstein, having subpoenaed high-profile figures committee members believe have knowledge of his crimes.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said he supports Mrs. Trump’s call to hold a hearing.
“We agree with first lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein,” the California Democrat said Thursday. “We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the first lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately.”
Later, he added that if Mrs. Trump “wants real justice, she should ask her husband to release the rest of the Epstein files and ensure that Pam Bondi testifies.” The former attorney general said she will not appear for her deposition next week since President Trump removed her and temporarily replaced her with her former deputy, Todd Blanche.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse, however, did not appreciate the first lady’s comments, accusing her of “shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power: the Department of Justice, law enforcement, prosecutors and the Trump administration.”
“Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports and giving testimony,” they said in a statement. “Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice.”
