Over a dozen House Democrats have invited survivors of Jeffrey Epstein to be their guests at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night.
They include Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., one of the authors of the Epstein Transparency Act, the law that has resulted in the release of millions of files related to the politically connected financier.
Khanna said in a statement he's bringing Haley Robson, who has said Epstein trafficked her starting when she was 16, as his guest to the address to a joint session of Congress.
“Haley’s courageous fight is proof that this isn’t about politics, it’s about exposing America’s two-tiered system of justice and bringing accountability to the Epstein class involved in the horrific abuse of young girls," Khanna said. "She and her fellow survivors’ bravery was the catalyst for changing a rotten system and finally standing up for humanity and American values.”
Robson said, “I’m honored and it came as a wonderful surprise to have been invited."
Some Epstein survivors have been critical of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein case and the release of the files, with some accusing the Justice Department of not doing enough to prosecute possible Epstein accomplices while redacting the names of some of those people in the files that were released. Others have also complained that the Justice Department violated their rights and the Epstein Transparency Act by failing to redact all of their names in the files.
Members of Congress typically invite guests whose presence conveys political meanings. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is bringing constituents who were affected by the administration's ICE raids in Minnesota. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., is bringing a right-wing influencer who has reported on fraud allegations against some Somali immigrants there.
Trump will have guests, as well. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X Tuesday that Erika Kirk, the widow of the late influencer and activist Charlie Kirk, will be one of them. Kirk's husband, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated last year at an event at a university in Utah.
The president also invited both the men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic hockey teams, but a spokesperson for USA Hockey told NBC News the women’s team won’t be able to attend, citing prior commitments. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he was planning to "squeeze in" the men's hockey team following the president's request.
At least one Democratic senator is bringing an Epstein survivor. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement he is bringing Dani Bensky, a "New Yorker and a survivor" who "has turned unimaginable pain into unrelenting advocacy, calling on President Trump to release every file and follow the law.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he is hosting Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda, along with family members of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson and Vonetta Rougier, one of his constituents.
“As a result of the courageous advocacy of Marina Lacerda and other Epstein survivors, the fight for transparency and accountability is alive and well,” Jeffries said in a statement.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, will bring as his guests Sky and Amanda Roberts, the brother and sister-in-law of Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide last year.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., is bringing as her guest New Mexico state Rep. Andrea Romero, who has launched an investigation into Epstein's activities in the state, where he had a sprawling estate known as Zorro Ranch.
“He was basically doing anything he wanted in this state without any accountability whatsoever,” Romero said last week, adding there's no record of federal law enforcement ever searching the 7,600-acre property.
Some Democrats aren’t attending the event themselves but are inviting survivors in their place.
Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., said she would be meeting with constituents during the speech and asked another Epstein survivor to appear in her place.
