Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime aide has provided the House Oversight Committee with three new names of alleged abusers in the convicted sex offender’s network — a disclosure that committee Chairman James Cuomo called a promising lead in his panel’s investigation into Epstein’s misconduct.
Cuomo said aide Sarah Kellen provided the names in a closed-door interview Thursday. He declined to name the men but said they were not previously known and promised to release transcripts of Karen’s interviews as soon as possible.
“New names, this is what we’ve been waiting for,” Cuomo said, adding, “I’m more optimistic today than I have been in a long time.”
Karen was a polarizing figure around Epstein, and her work with the late, disgraced financier gave her crucial information about his activities. In 2007, she was labeled by law enforcement as one of Epstein’s potential co-conspirators, and many believe she helped him recruit and abuse girls. But she described herself as a victim of Epstein’s abuse, and some observers acknowledged her experience was complicated, even as law enforcement did investigate her for possibly helping Epstein.
In several hours of closed-door testimony Thursday, Karen said she was not an accomplice of Epstein’s and did not know she would be included in Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement in the early 2000s. Instead, she testified that she “worked for and was sexually and psychologically abused by Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a copy of Karen’s opening statement she shared with CNN.
Karen described in graphic detail some of the sexual abuse she suffered.
“I want this committee to know that the abuse occurred on average on a weekly basis and was sometimes violent,” Karen said, according to the remarks. “These included Jeffrey entering my room in the middle of the night, putting his fingers inside me, and waking me from my sleep. This included an incident in Palm Beach when he lowered metal hurricane shutters, trapped me in the gym, played music so loud that no one could hear, choked me, and violently raped me.”
Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury told reporters she asked Karen about her time at Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, where the state is investigating, and that it was one of the places Karen said she was abused by Epstein.
Karen said it was impossible for her to escape Epstein’s powerful control over the years: “I had nowhere to go. I had no money, no family, no education, and no sense that I deserved better.”
Stansbury said she also asked Karen if she thought Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell should be moved to a lower-security prison or if Maxwell should receive a presidential pardon. Karen said no to both questions, even blaming Maxwell for some of Epstein’s inappropriate behavior, saying “Maxwell allowed Epstein to turn into the monster he became,” Stansbury said.
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, gave a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, following the testimony of Sarah Kellen, a former aide to Jeffrey Epstein. -Andrew Harnick/Getty Images
Cuomo said the Justice Department did not interview Karen until 2019, arguing it was an example of investigators mishandling the Epstein case. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
“Every time we bring someone in, there’s more evidence that the government has failed its victims. It’s clear,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo said that after hearing her testimony, he believed Karen was a victim of Epstein’s crimes, not a potential co-conspirator.
“Of all the people we’ve interviewed to date, this was by far the most substantive and productive interview we’ve had. She was incredibly brave in coming forward. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for her to go into detail about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell,” Comer said.
But others said they had more questions for Karen. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said the panel should consider calling Karen back for an interview because she didn’t answer many questions during Thursday’s interview.
“I want to hear more discussion about other actors, other entities, other women who were also potential conspirators in this incident,” Krishnamoorthy said.
Another source familiar with Karen’s testimony told CNN that while Karen was willing to answer questions about her own abuse, she would not share any information about the abuse she knew of others.
Sources added that while Karen said she never saw any wrongdoing by President Donald Trump, she testified that she believed Epstein and Trump were once close because Epstein had pictures of Trump hanging around all of Epstein’s properties.
Cuomo said Karen testified that Epstein went to Mar-a-Lago to work out but Trump kicked him out because Epstein “hit on members’ daughters and stuff like that.”
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