The House Oversight Committee is preparing for months of testimony tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
High-profile figures, including Bill Gates, are expected to testify about their interactions with Epstein. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has been photographed with Epstein, has volunteered to speak with the committee but has not yet scheduled an interview.
“I mean, that’s a step, but isn’t this, I mean, how many years late is this?” said Jennifer Freeman, who represents a group of survivors.
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While prominent names are expected to draw attention, Freeman said testimony from former assistants, lawyers and close associates could provide the most revealing details about Epstein’s actions. She has called for immunity for some of Epstein’s closest confidants.
“You need an inside person to tell you what was really going on,” she said. “And I don’t understand why there’s been no effort. I do understand, but I’m frustrated that there’s been no effort, you know, talk to the lieutenants.”
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Tova Noel, one of the correctional officers on duty the morning Epstein was found dead in his jail cell, is scheduled to appear before the committee on March 26.
Noel was charged in 2019 with falsifying records to indicate she completed required rounds, when she had not conducted a prisoner count the night Epstein died. According to a Justice Department Office of Inspector General report, surveillance video showed Noel at about 10:40 p.m. that night carrying linens to the tier where Epstein was housed.
The charges against Noel were later dismissed as part of a deal with prosecutors. Investigators have said she is believed to be among the last people to see Epstein alive.
