Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein gathered on the National Mall in Washington on 25 April to demand the public release of all remaining investigative documents. The event coincided with the White House Correspondents' Dinner and served as a memorial for Virginia Giuffre, the prominent Epstein survivor who died in April 2025, organised by Women's March and UltraViolet alongside Giuffre's family.
Their presence drew a response from the Department of Justice that drew sharp criticism. A designated DOJ Rapid Response account suggested that victims present simply walk to an FBI office to report abuse, a statement that legal commentators and survivors' advocates condemned as dismissive.
CBS News correspondent Scott MacFarlanereported on the gathering, noting that survivors were pressing the Trump administration for a comprehensive disclosure of the remaining files. He highlighted the contrast between the daytime gathering on the National Mall and the White House Correspondents' Dinner taking place that evening, which the president and senior media figures attended.
The situation escalated when the DOJ Rapid Response account replied directly to MacFarlane's post. The official account stated: 'We encourage any victim in attendance to walk over to the FBI office and make a statement about what they know and who they know abused them.'
Aaron Parnas, an attorney and political commentator, quickly condemned the agency's response in abroadcast published on his Substack. He described the department's post as actively dismissing the advocates during a gathering held in memory of Virginia Giuffre.
Parnas argued that the suggestion to walk into an FBI office entirely ignored the cooperation many survivors had already provided to federal investigators.
'This is a slap in the face to so many survivors because all of these survivors, many of them, have already made statements to the FBI,' Parnas stated. He emphasised that these individuals had already outlined everything they knew to the Bureau and the Justice Department.
We encourage any victim in attendance to walk over to the FBI office and make a statement about what they know and who they know abused them. That is how we can help them.https://t.co/gNiQtSjqVs
The frustration stems from the continued non-disclosure of records that the DOJ has collected. On 23 April 2026, two days before the gathering, theDOJ Inspector General formally opened an investigationinto the department's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, following complaints from 67 Democratic lawmakers. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had previously declared the investigation 'over' despite millions of files remaining unreleased.
Survivors travelled to Washington specifically to pressure officials into taking public-facing action regarding the remaining documents. Parnas said the government's timing felt like a dismissal of advocates who had spent years pushing for accountability.
Source: International Business Times UK
