"The survivors have done their part. Now it's time for those in power to do theirs," a group of victims, including Danielle Bensky and Annie Farmer, wrote in a statement, NBC News reports.
Epstein's victims have "already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward" and testifying. Now, demanding more from victims is about "diversion" rather than "justice."
The statement comes in reaction to the first lady's surprising statement to the media on Thursday, in which she, unprompted, denied personal connections to Epstein and also suggested public hearings of the sex offender's victims in Congress.
Melania Trump, whose husband is frequently mentioned in the so-called Epstein documents, "is shifting the burden to the survivors" to protect "those in power: the Justice Department, law enforcement, prosecutors and the Trump administration," the victims write.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie - who has been pushing for the Justice Department to release all of its investigative materials on Epstein - agrees. What is needed now, he says, is accountability.
"Prosecute!" he writes in capital letters in a post on X.
