WATCH: Kelly Urges Accountability for Epstein Victims
“We have the chance to say that in America, you will be held accountable. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. If you hurt people, you will answer for it.”
Today, during a Capitol Hill press conference, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly urged accountability for those who carried out and aided in Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes, regardless of their wealth, power, or political party. Kelly condemned efforts by political leaders to delay the truth from coming out and stressed that Senate leadership must schedule a vote on legislation to release the Epstein files as soon as it passes the House.
Kelly also joined his Democratic colleagues in calling on Majority Leader John Thune to immediately bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to the Senate floor for a vote, without delay or unnecessary distractions. The bipartisan legislation would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all documents and records related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, providing the American people with transparency.
Sen. Kelly speaks at a Capitol Hill press conference on releasing the Epstein files.
“I know it takes a lot of courage for the victims of these crimes to speak out. We’re here because of you. Together, we are on the edge of doing something important. From Epstein on down, the people who carried out and aided in these horrific crimes thought their wealth and power, meant that they would never have to answer for them,” said Kelly. “They thought the system was rigged for them and not against them, but against their victims. And for a long time, they were right, but we have a chance now to prove them wrong. We have the chance to say that in America, you will be held accountable. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. If you hurt people, you will answer for it.”
Kelly continued, “This hasn’t come easy.Powerful people like the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House have tried very hard to keep the whole truth from coming out. They made Adelita Grijalva wait how long? Two months? 50 days, to take her seat in Congress, just to delay accountability. And next, we’re going to need your help on the other side of the Capitol, making sure that Senate leadership doesn’t delay this any further. They need to schedule a vote on this, so this can get passed into law. But together, we can get there. Because at the core of this, this isn’t about Congress members or senators or the media. This is about real victims. But also, about their families who deserve justice and who deserve accountability. Together we’re going to make this happen. We’ve got a little bit more work ahead of us, but my hope is that Leader Thune will do the right thing and bring this legislation to the floor of the Senate and allow a vote.”
Watch Kelly’s full speech here.
Read the full text of the letter here.
