[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E491-E492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TESTIMONY OF MS. LAUREN HERSH, ``SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING 
         EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAXWELL FROST

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 26, 2026

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2026, Oversight Committee 
Democrats convened the first-ever hearing to solicit testimony from 
survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes. The 
hearing, ``Survivors Fight for Justice: Exposing Epstein's Crimes in 
Palm Beach and Across the World,'' marked a critical step forward in 
the fight for justice and accountability.
  On behalf of all the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine 
Maxwell's crimes, I rise to include in the Record the testimony offered 
by Ms. Lauren Hersh:

       Hello, I am Lauren Hersh, CEO of World Without Exploitation 
     (WorldWE), the largest national coalition in the United 
     States dedicated to ending human trafficking and commercial 
     sexual exploitation. Our coalition represents nearly 200 
     organizations across the country, and our work is grounded in 
     close partnership with survivors to advance survivor-centered 
     policy, education, and advocacy.
       I want to begin where this conversation must begin: with 
     survivors.
       What we have witnessed in the handling of the Epstein files 
     is not simply a bureaucratic misstep--it is a profound and 
     deeply troubling failure to protect the very people the 
     system is meant to serve. Survivors were promised dignity, 
     confidentiality, and care. Instead, we have seen a breakdown 
     in the protection of their identities and personal 
     information. That failure is unacceptable.
       The Department of Justice did not comply with the 
     requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This 
     raises urgent and fundamental questions: Why did this happen? 
     Where, procedurally, did the system fail? Who made the 
     decisions that led to this outcome? And what safequards were 
     either ignored or insufficient?
       These are not abstract questions. They demand clear, 
     transparent answers. Survivors--and the public--deserve a 
     full accounting of what went wrong inside the Department of 
     Justice. But accountability cannot stop at process. It must 
     extend to outcomes. We must now turn to the question of 
     accountability moving forward--both criminal and civil. 
     Recent assertions by Kash Patel that there are no credible 
     investigative leads, echoed by Todd Blanche, are deeply 
     concerning. From my perspective as both the CEO of WorldWE 
     and a former prosecutor, that conclusion is not only 
     premature--it is inconsistent with the available record.
       There is an abundance of potential investigative leads that 
     warrant serious, independent review, The notion that no 
     viable paths forward exist undermines public trust and risks 
     foreclosing justice before it has even been pursued.
       We are looking at a pattern of systemic failure:
       A failure to protect survivors as promised
       A failure to ensure transparency and proper process
       And increasingly, a failure to pursue meaningful 
     accountability
       This cannot stand. There are known areas that demand 
     further investigation. These include individuals whose names 
     have surfaced

[[Page E492]]

     repeatedly, as well as institutions that may have had 
     knowledge of or facilitated abuse. This includes major 
     systems such as Mount Sinai Health System and New York-
     Presbyterian Hospital, as well as academic and other 
     institutional actors. Each of these potential leads deserves 
     careful, independent examination through appropriate legal 
     channels.
       Every credible lead should be assessed through a 
     structured, impartial process--whether through independent 
     hearings, investigatory bodies, or prosecutorial review. 
     Dismissing them outright is not due diligence; it is 
     abdication.
       And let me be clear: the burden should not fall on 
     survivors to prove their worthiness for justice. The onus is 
     on investigative bodies--on prosecutors, on the Department of 
     Justice, on all relevant authorities--to do their jobs 
     thoroughly, transparently, and with integrity.
       Survivors have already carried far too much. They should 
     not have to carry the failures of our institutions as well.
       What is needed now is not defensiveness, but 
     accountability. Not closure, but investigation. Not 
     dismissal, but action.
       Thank you.

                          ____________________