Editor’s Note: The following article was written by Tribuno editorial board member, Alexandra Renoult-Orlandini.
Since 2024, public interest surged regarding the Epstein files, and it is now one of, if not the biggest, political crisis to date. The rich and powerful are involved – Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Clinton, and more. However, victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who were promised to be protected in regards to their privacy, experienced the opposite. Their personal information leaked, and retelling of stories that require justice – not exposure of the victims themselves. The public has demanded the release of the full Epstein files since the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein on July 6, 2019. On July 15, 2025, Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the Epstein File Transparency Act. On November 18, 2025, Congress passed the act, and Trump signed it the next day. This required all documents in regards to the files to be made public.
In the mid-70s, Michigan passed a law that protected victims of sexual conduct in criminal cases designed to prevent harassment and public opinion of the victim and entitling them to privacy. However, this seems only true in writing, as the victims in the Epstein files were denied their right to privacy and dignity. Meanwhile the rich and powerful continue to stay hidden and undisputed. Currently, the Department of Justice website suggests some claims that mention president Donald Trump are false as they were submitted to the FBI before the 2020 election. However, one does have to wonder — why are the victims’ right to justice not being called upon, yet others are?
In an interview with one survivor, her name was released publicly three times despite her lawyer contacting the DOJ to ensure her name would not be released. Victims of sexual violence have always dealt with the public humiliation, scrutiny, and loss of reputation. What was meant to be publicly available and expose perpetrators only made things worse for the actual victims who were promised protection. One survivor said, “I didn’t expect such violation of our privacy.”
Arguably, the government as a whole is not doing as much as it could in regards to the files and perpetrators in its investigation. Overseas, Prince Andrew was arrested and stripped of his royal titles due to his relationship with Epstein. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was named, and protestors erupted. Videos online show the Indian Youth Congress protesting over Modi’s name in the files, conveying how global this political crisis has gone.
Here in the United States, political figures like former president Bill Clinton have been questioned. He denied knowing about any wrongdoing of Epstein’s, and hoped his participation in the investigation would “prevent something like this from ever happening again.” However, in videos of the deposition, he is seen smiling and asking to look at the photos, presumably seeming as if he was reminiscing until his lawyer took the images away from him. This is not the first time Clinton has a sexual assault case against him, as many can recall the Paula Jones case and his renowned scandal with Monica Lewinsky. A young intern at the time, Lewinsky became a target of extreme public humiliation, to the point where she struggled to find work and make a life for herself. She was a victim during the scandal and afterwards, decades before the “Me Too” movement. The victims of Epstein should not have to face the same insults.
Comparatively, there seems to be no accountability in the United States as there has been around the world. In the most recent batch of released files, Trump’s name is mentioned over 1,000 times, where he denied any knowledge of Epstein’s actions. Victims deserve justice, dignity, and privacy over what occurred. While this political crisis does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon, we can only hope that the victims receive the justice they deserve.
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