Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s underage sex slave operation took to Capitol Hill this week and made it clear they’re done waiting for the government to tell the truth.
Speaking to reporters, Lisa Phillips, one of the women who came forward, dropped a bombshell: survivors are now preparing to compile and release their own list of names connected to Epstein’s dark network.
“We know the names,” she said, adding that this list of elite pedophiles who preyed on Epstein’s underage sex slaves will be created by survivors and for survivors—no outside forces involved.
Her words landed like a thunderclap in Washington, where officials have long claimed no “client list” exists, despite years of speculation, leaked documents, and unanswered questions.
This announcement comes after months of growing frustration over the Justice Department’s stonewalling. Only a tiny fraction of Epstein-related files have ever been released, and what little has surfaced has already confirmed connections to powerful elites across politics, finance, and entertainment.
The establishment’s repeated claim that no list exists rings hollow, especially now that survivors themselves are openly stating they know who was involved. If the government won’t tell the public, the survivors are threatening to do it themselves.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are scrambling to get ahead of the story. A bipartisan coalition is pushing the so-called Epstein Files Transparency Act, but many see this as political theater—a way to appease public outrage while still dragging their feet on releasing the truth. Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie admitted that only about one percent of the known files have been made public, and survivors accuse the system of covering up for the powerful.
Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene promised she would name names if she’s given access to the files and survivors’ consent, a sign that cracks are forming in the usual wall of silence.
The press conference itself was a deeply emotional display. Survivors Haley Robson and Marina Lacerda both delivered harrowing testimony, reminding the world that this is not just about names on a list but about real lives shattered by a system that protected predators and punished the vulnerable.
Robson said bluntly that “the rest of the world needs answers,” while Lacerda, speaking publicly for the first time, declared that “we matter now.” Their determination stood in stark contrast to the bureaucratic evasions that have defined the Epstein saga for years.
The symbolism here is impossible to miss. Survivors are taking back power from institutions that have failed them. The government insists no list exists; the survivors say otherwise.
The survivors’ move is a direct challenge to the establishment: if the truth won’t come from the top, it will come from the bottom up.