House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer confirmed Friday that his panel will schedule public hearings for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, responding to a rare public appeal from First Lady Melania Trump urging Congress to give victims a formal platform to speak.
The announcement marks a significant development in the congressional investigation into Epstein and his network, which has already drawn testimony from some of the country’s most prominent political and business figures.
Speaking on Fox News Friday morning, Comer stated that hearings with Epstein victims had always been part of his committee’s plan, but that the timing depended on the completion of ongoing depositions. He added that committee attorneys had been in regular communication with lawyers representing the victims for several months, though only some had expressed willingness to participate.
The Kentucky Republican noted that a number of additional high-profile individuals are still expected to appear before the committee before public hearings are convened. Once that process concludes, Comer said, victim hearings will follow.
The commitment came one day after Melania Trump made unusually direct public remarks at the White House, firmly rejecting reports linking her to Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. She described such claims as false and called on Congress to hold hearings dedicated specifically to survivors, giving them the opportunity to speak publicly and to submit their accounts into the official congressional record.
“Then, and only then, will we have the truth,” she said during her remarks Thursday.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has been conducting its investigation largely through private depositions. Among those who have already been questioned are former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Transcripts and recordings from those sessions have since been made available to the public.
Additional depositions are planned in the months ahead. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled to appear before the panel in June.
The committee has also issued a subpoena to former Attorney General Pam Bondi. The Justice Department, however, is challenging that subpoena, contending it applies only to Bondi in her capacity as a former official rather than in a personal one.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with extensive connections across politics, finance, and entertainment, died in federal custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide, though it has continued to generate public controversy. Maxwell, his longtime associate and alleged co-conspirator, was convicted in 2021 on charges related to the sexual abuse and trafficking of minors and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
