Virginia Giuffre’s brother delivered an emotional plea outside the U.S. Capitol just hours before the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill that would require the release of files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Speaking through tears at the Tuesday, Nov. 18, press conference, Giuffre’s younger brother, Sky Roberts, urged lawmakers to support the measure.
“My sister is not a political tool for you to use, these survivors are not political tools for you to use,” Roberts said, addressing members of Congress. “These are real stories, real trauma and it’s time for you to stop just talking about it and act. Vote yes.”
“Virginia’s legacy is not just hers, it belongs to all of us who stand against injustice,” he continued. “Together we will ensure that the voices of survivors are heard, that the truth prevails and that the horrors of the past are never repeated.”
Before her death by suicide in April, Giuffre had alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to powerful figures, including the former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The bipartisan bill before the House would require the Justice Department to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.”
According to a summary of the bill, materials connected to Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as flight logs, travel records and information about “individuals named or referenced (including government officials) in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein,” could be made public.
Even if the House approves the bill, as is widely expected, it must still pass the Senate and then be signed by President Donald Trump before it could become law.
The looming disclosure of the files has created significant political pressure for the Trump administration.
Despite initially opposing the measure, the president later reversed his position and encouraged House Republicans to vote in favor of it once it became clear the bill already had enough support to pass.
The records covered by the bill are separate from the thousands of documents already provided to the House Oversight Committee. Democrats on the committee recently released emails from Epstein that reference Trump multiple times, in which the financier questioned the president’s mental health and suggested he “knew about the girls” being trafficked.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement following the release of the emails that House Democrats were promoting a “hoax” to distract from Trump’s “historic accomplishments.”
Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail while awaiting trial on s** trafficking charges. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction on s** trafficking-related offenses.
