Epstein survivors float release of unofficial client list

Josephine Walker
Jeffrey Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips suggested Wednesday that victims of the convicted sex offender are contemplating publishing a list of people involved in their abuse if the Justice Department doesn't make more documents public.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has faced tremendous public backlash for concluding that there is no official Epstein client list, and if victims release their own list of names, it could trigger another fight between MAGA loyalists and federal officials.

• "Several of us Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list of names," Phillips told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference.
• "We know the names. Many of us were abused by them," she added.
• Phillips said the list would be compiled "by survivors and for survivors," and that the public should "stay tuned for more details."

Driving the news: Phillips made the suggestion during one of several press conferences held on Capitol Hill Wednesday by survivors advocating for Congress to pass several bills that could offer additional protections for victims of sex trafficking.

• The rally came a day after the House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 Epstein-related documents subpoenaed from the DOJ.
• Congressional leadership hoped the massive release would decrease public pressure for additional files, but the committee's top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), said most of the files had already been made public.

The intrigue: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is collecting members' signatures to force a vote that would require Congress to release all of the Epstein files.

• Massie accused Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) of attempting to block his discharge petition on Wednesday by introducing a competing resolution that "doesn't really do anything."

Context: Johnson added an Epstein-related bill to the House schedule for Wednesday that would direct the Oversight Committee to "continue its ongoing investigation" into Epstein, which Massie called a "meaningless" vote on Tuesday.

Zoom in: "Now the Speaker of the House just offered a fig leaf to my colleagues," Massie said Wednesday.

• "They're going to vote on a non-binding resolution today that does absolutely nothing."
• It's unclear if Massie's discharge petition will garner the additional two signatures it needs to trigger a House vote.