Floor SpeechUrgent2026-05-26

TESTIMONY OF MARIA FARMER, "SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD"

HealthcareTaxesEnvironmentTradeCrime & JusticeAgriculture

Context

On 2026-05-26, Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA-42) delivered a floor speech titled "TESTIMONY OF MARIA FARMER, "SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD"" in the House.

Full Text

TESTIMONY OF MARIA FARMER, "SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD"

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 89 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E488-E489] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TESTIMONY OF MARIA FARMER, ``SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD'' ______ HON. ROBERT GARCIA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, May 26, 2026 Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2026, Oversight Committee Democrats convened the first-ever hearing to solicit testimony from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes. The hearing, ``Survivors Fight for Justice: Exposing Epstein's Crimes in Palm Beach and Across the World,'' marked a critical step forward in the fight for justice and accountability. On behalf of all the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, I rise to include in the Record the testimony offered by Ms. Maria Farmer: My name is Maria Farmer. I am the whistleblower who reported Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Les Wexner, and others to the FBI 30 years ago in 1996. Today I apologize for my appearance. I was not well enough to attend this hearing in person and have recently been released from the hospital. That's the result of thirty years of fighting. For three decades, I have carried a weight that no survivor should ever have to bear. I reported what I believed were heinous crimes against children, and these individuals responsible were involved in an international pedophile ring. I reported their crimes in real time, and the government continues to ignore me to this day. In 1996, I reported Epstein and his co-conspirators to my local New York City Sixth Precinct. The Commanding Officer told me local police could only address the local arson crimes, and he instructed me to immediately report the whole story, spanning several states, to the FBI. He told me that it was vitally important that I tell the whole story to the FBI, which I did. The FBI asked me questions, said they were familiar with some of the perpetrators I identified, and gave me every reason to believe they would respond. That failure-- that single moment when law enforcement refused to take action--set off a cascade of injustice and grave repercussions to my sisters, my family, and so many others, and to me personally, including my health and well-being. The FBI's decades of failure and inaction led to countless more girls and young women suffering abuse and trauma that could have been prevented. Individuals like Virginia Giuffre, Anouska de Georgiou, Chauntae Davies, Marijke Chartouni, Dani Bensky, Jena-Lisa Jones, Ashley Rubright, and Jennifer Araoz among others. Each survivor represents a life changed forever, suffering that could have been spared if the FBI had done their job in 1996. The failures did not stop there. In 2006, the FBI tracked me down, stating that they searched for me because they knew I had reported Epstein ten years earlier and no one else had. They urged me to testify in a federal criminal trial against Epstein and his co- conspirators, and they promised that they would ``get him'' this time. I trusted them again, relied upon them again, and they betrayed me again. Rather than following through with their promises, the government offered Epstein a sweetheart deal and shielded powerful individuals from accountability, and they persist in granting special treatment to certain people to this day. I have received death threats from Maxwell and her associates--including one instance where they threatened to burn my apartment down--and those threats have not stopped. I have been subjected to more than three decades of ongoing harassment, vicious challenges to my truthfulness, and real danger from internet instigators, trolls and more. Meanwhile, my numerous efforts to obtain my 1996 report from the FBI have been rejected again and again. In 2023, I wrote a letter to the government, asking for an investigation of the government's actions or inactions in response to my 1996 report. The Inspector General replied, saying they were busy with other things but would get back to me, and they never did. I sent multiple FOIA requests for my FBI report records. In January 2025, in response to my most recent request, the government said that they would get back to me in November 2027, a delay of nearly three years. I finally received a letter saying they looked at my complaint, took some kind of action, and the matter was ``addressed,'' but what they did was a secret. With no other choice, I filed an administrative claim against the government and then a lawsuit. Since then, virtually nothing has happened, and I'm left waiting and wondering what is next. With the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, after years of efforts to get my records, an FD-71 form was released for the first time, confirming part of my 1996 whistleblower report and vindicating some of what I had said for years. However, the full extent of what I told the FBI was not in that document, so the release of the Epstein Files provides only partial relief for me. Where is the evidence I provided of my sexual assault, and that of my sister Annie? Why won't the FBI release my full report? The failures of those sworn to protect us have overwhelmed me. Doing my civic duty has cost me dearly. The stress of this trauma, the government hiding and refusing to turn over written confirmation of my 1996 report, along with the ongoing harassment and [[Page E489]] death threats, have contributed to me developing serious health issues, including Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a brain tumor, and recently Addison's disease. In the last month, I have spent 23 nights in hospitals, including multiple nights in the ICU. Along with my health, it has robbed me of my career. In 1996, I was fresh out of graduate school, and living the life that I had always dreamed, creating and selling art in New York City. When I was assaulted, threatened and held captive, my career was halted, and the trajectory of my life was thrown off course. So many others had their dreams shattered by these crimes, and they could have been prevented. Individuals like Virginia Giuffre, who is the backbone of this case and remains the inspiration behind this fight. She's the reason my sister and I came forward publicly, so we could stand together. She faced also relentless attacks to her credibility, yet she fought. While Virginia may no longer be physically beside us, she has been our shining star and guiding light and remains so today. The rest of humanity owes it to her legacy to continue this quest. We are still walking down the trail that Virginia blazed for us. So let me be direct about what we need. The federal government owes us explanations, accountability for injuries caused, and a promise of systemic change when crimes against children are reported. Accountability should start with the government's acknowledgement and responsibility for their repeated failures to act in response to my 1996 report. The government needs to take responsibility for endangering and injuring girls and young women. The government needs to start telling the truth, face my lawsuit, and be held to account to me and to all others who have been harmed. Had the FBI done their job, thirty years of child sex abuse and trauma could have been avoided. I want my full FBI file, including the 1996 and 2006 reports, including my art. We also need the FBI and the Department of Justice to fully investigate every lead in this case. We need investigation and prosecution of everyone responsible, both men and women. This includes the officials who enabled the 2008 sweetheart deal, the other perpetrators and the many co-conspirators, and anyone who is currently shielding powerful individuals from justice. No more protection for the guilty. There must be no pardoning or commuting the sentence of Maxwell, who sexually abused me, my minor sister, hurt so many girls and young women, and personally threatened to kill me, has shown no remorse, and has demonstrated no basis on which to believe she would ever be truthful. As the Epstein case whistleblower, I have waited three decades for justice. It's a miracle I'm still fighting, especially considering what the stress of three decades of this case has done to my health and well-being. I will keep fighting for justice and transparency, for a better, safer future for the next generation. Thank you. ____________________

View original source →

TESTIMONY OF MARIA FARMER, "SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD" Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 89 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E488-E489] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TESTIMONY OF MARIA FARMER, ``SURVIVORS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE: EXPOSING EPSTEIN'S CRIMES IN PALM BEACH AND ACROSS THE WORLD'' ______ HON. ROBERT GARCIA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, May 26, 2026 Mr. GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2026, Oversight Committee Democrats convened the first-ever hearing to solicit testimony from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes. The hearing, ``Survivors Fight for Justice: Exposing Epstein's Crimes in Palm Beach and Across the World,'' marked a critical step forward in the fight for justice and accountability. On behalf of all the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, I rise to include in the Record the testimony offered by Ms. Maria Farmer: My name is Maria Farmer. I am the whistleblower who reported Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Les Wexner, and others to the FBI 30 years ago in 1996. Today I apologize for my appearance. I was not well enough to attend this hearing in person and have recently been released from the hospital. That's the result of thirty years of fighting. For three decades, I have carried a weight that no survivor should ever have to bear. I reported what I believed were heinous crimes against children, and these individuals responsible were involved in an international pedophile ring. I reported their crimes in real time, and the government continues to ignore me to this day. In 1996, I reported Epstein and his co-conspirators to my local New York City Sixth Precinct. The Commanding Officer told me local police could only address the local arson crimes, and he instructed me to immediately report the whole story, spanning several states, to the FBI. He told me that it was vitally important that I tell the whole story to the FBI, which I did. The FBI asked me questions, said they were familiar with some of the perpetrators I identified, and gave me every reason to believe they would respond. That failure-- that single moment when law enforcement refused to take action--set off a cascade of injustice and grave repercussions to my sisters, my family, and so many others, and to me personally, including my health and well-being. The FBI's decades of failure and inaction led to countless more girls and young women suffering abuse and trauma that could have been prevented. Individuals like Virginia Giuffre, Anouska de Georgiou, Chauntae Davies, Marijke Chartouni, Dani Bensky, Jena-Lisa Jones, Ashley Rubright, and Jennifer Araoz among others. Each survivor represents a life changed forever, suffering that could have been spared if the FBI had done their job in 1996. The failures did not stop there. In 2006, the FBI tracked me down, stating that they searched for me because they knew I had reported Epstein ten years earlier and no one else had. They urged me to testify in a federal criminal trial against Epstein and his co- conspirators, and they promised that they would ``get him'' this time. I trusted them again, relied upon them again, and they betrayed me again. Rather than following through with their promises, the government offered Epstein a sweetheart deal and shielded powerful individuals from accountability, and they persist in granting special treatment to certain people to this day. I have received death threats from Maxwell and her associates--including one instance where they threatened to burn my apartment down--and those threats have not stopped. I have been subjected to more than three decades of ongoing harassment, vicious challenges to my truthfulness, and real danger from internet instigators, trolls and more. Meanwhile, my numerous efforts to obtain my 1996 report from the FBI have been rejected again and again. In 2023, I wrote a letter to the government, asking for an investigation of the government's actions or inactions in response to my 1996 report. The Inspector General replied, saying they were busy with other things but would get back to me, and they never did. I sent multiple FOIA requests for my FBI report records. In January 2025, in response to my most recent request, the government said that they would get back to me in November 2027, a delay of nearly three years. I finally received a letter saying they looked at my complaint, took some kind of action, and the matter was ``addressed,'' but what they did was a secret. With no other choice, I filed an administrative claim against the government and then a lawsuit. Since then, virtually nothing has happened, and I'm left waiting and wondering what is next. With the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, after years of efforts to get my records, an FD-71 form was released for the first time, confirming part of my 1996 whistleblower report and vindicating some of what I had said for years. However, the full extent of what I told the FBI was not in that document, so the release of the Epstein Files provides only partial relief for me. Where is the evidence I provided of my sexual assault, and that of my sister Annie? Why won't the FBI release my full report? The failures of those sworn to protect us have overwhelmed me. Doing my civic duty has cost me dearly. The stress of this trauma, the government hiding and refusing to turn over written confirmation of my 1996 report, along with the ongoing harassment and [[Page E489]] death threats, have contributed to me developing serious health issues, including Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a brain tumor, and recently Addison's disease. In the last month, I have spent 23 nights in hospitals, including multiple nights in the ICU. Along with my health, it has robbed me of my career. In 1996, I was fresh out of graduate school, and living the life that I had always dreamed, creating and selling art in New York City. When I was assaulted, threatened and held captive, my career was halted, and the trajectory of my life was thrown off course. So many others had their dreams shattered by these crimes, and they could have been prevented. Individuals like Virginia Giuffre, who is the backbone of this case and remains the inspiration behind this fight. She's the reason my sister and I came forward publicly, so we could stand together. She faced also relentless attacks to her credibility, yet she fought. While Virginia may no longer be physically beside us, she has been our shining star and guiding light and remains so today. The rest of humanity owes it to her legacy to continue this quest. We are still walking down the trail that Virginia blazed for us. So let me be direct about what we need. The federal government owes us explanations, accountability for injuries caused, and a promise of systemic change when crimes against children are reported. Accountability should start with the government's acknowledgement and responsibility for their repeated failures to act in response to my 1996 report. The government needs to take responsibility for endangering and injuring girls and young women. The government needs to start telling the truth, face my lawsuit, and be held to account to me and to all others who have been harmed. Had the FBI done their job, thirty years of child sex abuse and trauma could have been avoided. I want my full FBI file, including the 1996 and 2006 reports, including my art. We also need the FBI and the Department of Justice to fully investigate every lead in this case. We need investigation and prosecution of everyone responsible, both men and women. This includes the officials who enabled the 2008 sweetheart deal, the other perpetrators and the many co-conspirators, and anyone who is currently shielding powerful individuals from justice. No more protection for the guilty. There must be no pardoning or commuting the sentence of Maxwell, who sexually abused me, my minor sister, hurt so many girls and young women, and personally threatened to kill me, has shown no remorse, and has demonstrated no basis on which to believe she would ever be truthful. As the Epstein case whistleblower, I have waited three decades for justice. It's a miracle I'm still fighting, especially considering what the stress of three decades of this case has done to my health and well-being. I will keep fighting for justice and transparency, for a better, safer future for the next generation. Thank you. ____________________