US House Oversight chairman vows hearings with Epstein victims after Melania Trump’s speech
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US First Lady Melania Trump said on April 9 that public hearings were needed for victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to tell their stories under oath.
PHOTO: AFP
- House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer agrees with Melania Trump's call for congressional hearings with Jeffrey Epstein's victims.
- Comer states the committee plans hearings after depositions, with attorneys in contact with victims, some willing to testify.
- Melania Trump denies any Epstein connection, advocating for victims to share stories under oath, despite her husband's wishes.
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WASHINGTON – US Representative James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on April 11 that he agreed with US First Lady Melania Trump’s call for congressional hearings with victims of Jeffrey Epstein, saying “we will have hearings”.
Mrs Melania Trump, the wife of US President Donald Trump, said on April 9 that the public hearings were needed for Epstein victims to tell their stories under oath, raising the prospect of further public attention on an issue the president wants to go away.
“I agree with the first lady and appreciate what she said. We will have hearings,” Mr Comer told Fox News’ America Reports programme.
Mr Comer said the House Oversight Committee’s attorneys have been in constant contact with Epstein’s victims. He said some victims are willing to come in, while others are not.
“We have always planned on having a hearing with Epstein victims once the depositions have been completed, so we’ve still got some more high-profile men that are coming in,” Mr Comer said.
Republican House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said he agreed with US First Lady Melania Trump on the need for hearings.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Epstein has been the centre of political discussion in recent months after the US Justice Department released millions of files related to the late financier, who was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died in jail in what was ruled a suicide.
More than 1,200 victims of Epstein were identified in documents that have been steadily released by the US Justice Department since late-2025.
In her rare April 9 remarks, which thrust the Epstein matter back into the spotlight after her husband had sought to put it behind him, the US First Lady denied that she had any connection with Epstein and said she was not one of his victims.
Mr Trump told The New York Times on April 1 that he knew his wife wanted to talk about the late sex offender at some point and “thought she had a right to talk about it”, even if he had not known what exactly she planned to say.
“I said, ‘If you want to do that, you can do that,” he told the newspaper, adding that he did not recommend she speak out. REUTERS
