Epstein’s longtime assistant accused three previously unknown abusers connected to him, Oversight chair says

By Annie Grayer, MJ Lee, CNN

(CNN) — Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime assistant gave the House Oversight Committee three new names of alleged abusers in the convicted sex offender’s network — a revelation that committee chairman James Comer described as a promising lead in his panel’s investigation into Epstein’s misdeeds.

The assistant, Sarah Kellen, provided the names in a closed-door interview on Thursday, Comer said. He declined to name the individuals, but said they were not previously known and promised to release a transcript of Kellen’s interview as soon as possible.

“The new names, that’s what we’ve been waiting for,” Comer said, adding, “I’m more optimistic today than I have been a long time.”

Kellen is a polarizing figure in Epstein’s orbit whose work with the disgraced late financier gave her access to significant information on his activities. In 2007, she was labeled by law enforcement as one of Epstein’s potential co-conspirators, and many believe she helped him recruit and abuse girls. But she has described herself as a victim of Epstein’s abuse, and some observers acknowledge her experience is complicated, even if law enforcement did investigate her for possibly aiding Epstein.

Throughout hours of closed-door testimony on Thursday, Kellen said she was not Epstein’s co-conspirator and had no idea she was going to be named in Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement from the early 2000s. On the contrary, Kellen testified she “worked for and was sexually and psychologically abused by Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a copy of her opening remarks shared with CNN.

Kellen described in graphic detail some of the sexual abuse she says she endured.

“I want this Committee to know that the abuse happened on average on a weekly basis, and was at times violent,” Kellen said, according to the remarks. “It included Jeffrey entering my room in the middle of the night and putting his fingers inside me, waking me up from my sleep. It included an occasion in Palm Beach when he trapped me in the gym by lowering the metal hurricane shutter, blasted the music so loud that no one could hear, choked me, and violently raped me.”

Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury told reporters that she asked Kellen about her experience at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, where a state investigation is ongoing, and Kellen said that was one of the places she was abused by Epstein.

Kellen said that for years, it was simply not possible for her to leave Epstein’s powerful grip: “I had nowhere else to go. I had no money, no family, no education, and no sense that I deserved any better.”

Stansbury said she also asked Kellen if she believed Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell should have been moved to a lower security prison or if Maxwell should receive a presidential pardon. To both questions, Kellen said no, and even cast blame on Maxwell for some of Epstein’s wrongdoing, saying “Maxwell turned Epstein into the monster he became,” according to Stansbury.

Comer said that the Justice Department did not interview Kellen until 2019, arguing that was an example that investigators had mishandled the Epstein case. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

“More evidence emerges every time we bring somebody in that the government failed the victims. That’s the obvious,” Comer stated.

Comer said that after listening to her testimony, he believes Kellen was a victim of Epstein’s crimes, not a potential co-conspirator.

“Of all the people that we’ve interviewed thus far, this was by far the most substantive and productive interview that we’ve had. She was very brave coming forward. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for her to go into detail about the abuse that she endured at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell,” Comer said.

But others said they had more questions for Kellen. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said the panel should consider bringing Kellen back in for an interview under subpoena because there were a number of questions Kellen didn’t answer in the voluntary setting of Thursday’s interview.

“What I want to hear is more discussion about other actors, other entities, other women, who else were potential conspirators in this,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Another source familiar with Kellen’s testimony told CNN that while Kellen was willing to answer questions about her own abuse, she would not share any information about the abuse she knew others to have suffered.

And while Kellen said she never witnessed any inappropriate behavior by President Donald Trump, she testified that she believed that Epstein and Trump were once close given that Epstein had photographs of Trump hanging around all of Epstein’s properties, the source added.

Comer said that Kellen testified that Epstein used to go to Mar-a-Lago to workout, but Trump kicked him out because Epstein “hit on a members’ daughter or something.”

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