A high-stakes congressional hearing in Washington has taken a dramatic turn following a closed-door session that left lawmakers stunned. House Oversight investigators suddenly found themselves facing unexpected disclosures regarding a notorious, elite abuse network.
With tensions running high on Capitol Hill, official confirmation of these new developments suggests the fallout from this investigation is only just beginning.
Thursday's closed-door session with House Oversight investigators took a major turn when Jeffrey Epstein's former assistant handed over three new names of suspected co-conspirators.
Sarah Kellen proved to be highly cooperative during her private testimony, prompting committee chairman James Comer to state that her evidence was precisely what they had been waiting for. Speaking to the press after the session wrapped up, Comer expressed deep gratitude for the witness's cooperation.
'Sarah Kellen has been very helpful. Of all the people we have interviewed thus far, this was by far the most substantive and productive interview that we've had,' he noted. The chairman also acknowledged the immense personal toll of the deposition, adding, 'She was very brave coming forward. I can't imagine how difficult it was for her to go into detail about the abuse that she endured at the hands of Epstein and [Ghislaine] Maxwell.'
'One very positive thing today is she gave us three names of people that were involved in abuse. These were new names for us,' Comer continued.
According to Comer, investigators plan to publish the full transcript from Kellen's deposition without delay, though the identities of various victims must be obscured beforehand. 'As far as the men that were the abusers—alleged abusers—the whole world will see that,' Comer said.
Notably, Kellen has strongly rejected accusations that she acted as an accomplice to the convicted sex offender, telling investigators that she was actually subjected to sexual and psychological torment by the late financier. In her opening remarks to the House of Representatives oversight and reform committee on Thursday morning, she made her intentions clear as part of the panel's broader review into how the federal Epstein inquiry was handled.
'I am here today to answer your questions, to dispel rumors and conspiracies, and to tell you the truth,' she said.
She explained that it took years of professional therapy to finally understand that she had also fallen prey to Epstein's calculated grooming and control. Describing the frequency of the trauma in her opening statement to investigators, Kellen noted, 'The abuse happened on average on a weekly basis, and was at times violent.'
Source: International Business Times UK
