‘An Abomination’: A Congresswoman Just Tore Apart the System That Let Epstein Walk Free for Years, and What She Revealed About Who Protected Him Is Absolutely Damning
In a searing hearing held this week in West Palm Beach, Florida, by House Oversight Committee Democrats, Rep. Lois Frankel condemned the systemic failures that allowed Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes to continue for years — calling the handling of the case “an abomination.”
The seven-term Florida congresswoman opened her remarks on May 12 by acknowledging the Epstein survivors who attended the session.
“Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your resilience, and thank you for your determination to tell the truth, even when the system failed you,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “This hearing is long overdue.”
Frankel, who once served as mayor of West Palm Beach, recounted how the first Epstein investigation collapsed under the weight of influence and negligence.
“It is right here, folks, right here in Palm Beach County more than 20 years ago that the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes were first denied justice,” she said, referencing the work of then–Police Chief Michael Reiter.
“The police did their job. They listened to the survivors. They built a serious case. Then they brought it to then–State Attorney Barry Krischer… But instead of filing charges—” she paused, “was it overwhelmed by the power, by the wealth?”
Frankel’s criticism grew sharper as she detailed how prosecutors “shockingly minimized the abuse, limited the witnesses, and treated vulnerable young girls as if they were criminals.”
The result, she said, was “jaw dropping — solicitation of prostitution, punishable by up to 60 days in jail. How crazy and wrong, an abomination if you ask me.”
She then turned her fire on federal authorities, citing former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Alexander Acosta’s 2008 “secret” and “shameful” non-prosecution deal with the financier.
“Epstein was allowed to plead guilty to solicitation of prostitution, solicitation of a minor for prostitution,” she said. “Privilege that allowed him to leave jail each day to continue his systematic sexual exploitation of women and girls.”
“These survivors were abused first by a predator, and then failed by a justice system that too often protected wealth and power,” Frankel declared, calling for subpoenas of local prosecutors. “Had prosecutors in Florida done their jobs, most likely hundreds of young women might have been spared unimaginable harm.”
“We owe the survivors and the public the answers — and more,” Frankel closed.