Frankel Calls on House Oversight Committee to Advance Long Overdue Epstein Hearing in Palm Beach County

Today, Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL-22) sent a letter to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY-01) and Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA-42) requesting the Committee issue long-overdue subpoenas for key witnesses in the Epstein case and put the local Palm Beach County prosecutors and officials responsible for Jeffrey Epstein’s failed prosecution under oath. “I again respectfully request that the full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform come to Palm Beach County and subpoena key witnesses to testify under oath,” wrote Rep. Frankel. “Their testimony could provide critical insight into how Epstein secured such a lenient agreement, why survivors were denied the justice they deserved, and how we can prevent such failures in the future.” Rep. Frankel has called for a hearing in Palm Beach County for years. Previous hearings were postponed at the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to protect the ongoing prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell. Rep. Frankel believes it is past time that the Committee moves forward with this hearing—a belief strengthened after hearing directly from survivors last month at the Oversight Democrats field hearing in Palm Beach County. Last month, through her role on the House Appropriations Committee, she also helped advance two provisions to: Require the DOJ to remove and prohibit the further release of personally identifying information of Epstein survivors on DOJ websites and in public materials. Direct the DOJ Inspector General to review compliance with the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA) and examine reforms needed to ensure all survivors are guaranteed their rights under the law, including timely notification of plea agreements before they are finalized — addressing the very loophole exploited in Epstein’s secret 2008 non-prosecution agreement. For full text of the letter, click here .