Victim in Epstein case decries ‘political warfare' in effort to release grand jury transcripts
Casey Gannon
, CNN
Two victims of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse have filed letters to the court condemning the Justice Department's request to unseal grand jury testimony and cited the lack of respect they feel has been showed toward them by
President Donald Trump
and his administration.
Both of the victims remained anonymous in their writings sent on Monday, with one calling the latest handling of the so-called
Epstein Files
"political warfare."
"Dear United States, I wish you would have handled and would handle the whole 'Epstein Files' with more respect towards and for the victims. I am not some pawn in your political warfare. What you have done and continue to do is eating at me day after day as you help to perpetuate this story indefinitely," one of the victims wrote.
Another victim argued that priority has only been on protecting "wealthy men."
"(I) feel like the DOJ's and FBI's priority is protecting the "third-party", the wealthy men by focusing on scrubbing their names off the files of which the victims, "know who they are,'" one of the victims wrote.
While neither letter outwardly requests federal Judge Richard Berman in New York to keep the transcripts under seal, both strongly urge him to take all necessary precautions in concealing victims' identities.
One of the victims suggested that a third party review the release of the documents to ensure that no information related to the victims is revealed. The other victim told the judge that it is an "upmost priority" for any information regarding identify of the victims be redacted.
Both emotional letters submitted to the judge showed clear frustration towards the administration's handling of the files.
"I appreciate your time reading my short thoughts and feeling and my anxiety and frustration is NOT aimed at you, obviously. It is aimed at the very government here, the ones asking to release these transcripts, exhibits, etc., of which the victims are not privy to while they have concluded that there is nothing more to see on the files they hold. Yet no one has seen them, but them," one of the letters read. "I am beside myself."
Victims in the case were asked to respond to the government's request to release grand jury transcripts by August 5.
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