Rep. Nancy Mace Responds to Oversight Report Exposing How Epstein Escaped Accountability for Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 10, 2026) – Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) is responding to a new House Oversight Committee report detailing years of justice system failures, allowing Jeffrey Epstein to evade accountability while his victims were denied justice.

“Epstein did not escape accountability for years by accident. He had help: a secret deal, prosecutors with potential conflicts of interest, and banks looking the other way, all while young women and girls paid the price,” said Congresswoman Mace.“Every person who protected him, profited from him, or turned a blind eye must answer for it.”

The investigation exposed years of failures which enabled Epstein's abuse:

• A sweetheart deal: In 2007, federal prosecutors allowed Epstein to avoid federal charges. He served just 13 months of an 18-month jail sentence and was granted extensive work-release privileges, allowing him to leave jail for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week. Survivors allege he continued sexually abusing them during this time.
• Questionable relationships: The report identified potential conflicts of interest involving former federal prosecutors Matthew Menchel and Bruce Reinhart, and examined Epstein's continued financial and personal relationships with powerful figures, including Leon Black, Bill Gates, Howard Lutnick, Kathryn Ruemmler and Rep. Stacey Plaskett.
• Financial red flags: Financial institutions ignored warning signs of human trafficking, including suspicious financial transactions and travel arrangements used to move foreign women across international borders directly to Epstein's residences.
• Failures to protect survivors: Federal prosecutors secretly negotiated Epstein's sweetheart deal without notifying his victims, denying survivors a chance to challenge the agreement. Years later, DOJ document releases exposed sensitive personal information about survivors, further exposing the government's failure to protect them.

“The Epstein saga will go down as one of the biggest cover-ups in American history, a systemic failure at every level. We want every file released, victims’ identities protected, and every co-conspirator exposed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Nobody should get a pass, no matter how rich, powerful, or politically connected. The cover-up must end now,” Mace added. 

BACKGROUND: 

Rep. Mace has been at the forefront of the fight for accountability and justice for Epstein survivors. She was one of just four Republicans to break with party leadership and sign the original Epstein discharge petition, forcing a vote on releasing the files. She also signed Rep. Thomas Massie's second discharge petition demanding additional records and answers.

She questioned former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during their depositions, as well as former Clinton aide Doug Band. She supported holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena and demanded Bill Gates answer questions under oath. She sent letters to the CIA demanding records related to Epstein and to the Southern District of New York demanding the unredacted memorandum identifying potential co-conspirators. She also made the motion to subpoena former Attorney General Pam Bondi, which passed the House Oversight Committee.

Rep. Mace has stood with Epstein’s survivors every step of the way and continues to demand the full truth, the release of every file, and accountability for every person who enabled Epstein’s crimes.

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