me too. International Leads Coalition Letter Demanding Accountability from DOJ Over Mishandling of Epstein Files

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 28, 2026

[Atlanta, GA] — me too. International partnered with the National Women’s Law Center and Justice for Migrant Women to author an official coalition letter to the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, demanding accountability for the Department of Justice’s gross mishandling of the release of the Epstein files, and its continued failure to protect survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking. Signed by over 30 survivor justice and gender justice organizations, the letter calls on lawmakers to launch immediate oversight into the Department of Justice’s actions and failures surrounding the handling of records connected to Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their network.

“The movement for bodily sovereignty is built on people finally saying enough. Sexual violence is a global health crisis, and it demands accountability from those who cause direct harm and every institution that enables it. Even when that institution is the Department of Justice,” said Tarana Burke, Co-Founder & Chief Vision Officer of me too. International.

For me too. International, this moment underscores the dangerous consequences of systems that consistently fail to protect survivors while shielding powerful institutions from accountability. As a survivor-led global movement committed to advancing healing, justice, and bodily autonomy, we recognize that sexual violence does not occur in isolation. It is enabled by cultures of silence, institutional neglect, and abuses of power that too often go unchecked. The mishandling of the Epstein files represents more than administrative failure; it reflects a broader pattern of disregard for survivors of sexual violence and trafficking, particularly those most marginalized. Our advocacy in this moment is rooted in the belief that survivor justice requires transparency, accountability, and a collective refusal to allow institutions to evade responsibility when harm occurs.

The letter can be read in full below:

The Honorable James Comer
Chairman
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Robert Garcia
Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

May 28, 2026

Dear Chairman Comer and Ranking Member Garcia:

me too. International, the National Women’s Law Center, Justice for Migrant Women, and the undersigned 32 survivor and gender justice organizations write to demand accountability for the Department of Justice’s gross mishandling of the release of the Epstein files and its continued failure to protect survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking. We also call upon the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to ensure former Attorney General Pam Bondi does not escape accountability for decisions that endangered survivors and shielded powerful abusers from scrutiny.

The Department of Justice’s mishandling of the Epstein files was a breach of duty to all survivors of sexual violence. The DOJ had a clear responsibility: protect survivors while delivering accountability. Instead, under former Attorney General Pam Bondi, it chose to release files without protecting the identities of the children – now women – who were abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their vast network of violent individuals. The DOJ chose chaos over care and in the process, shifted the fallout of its failures onto survivors.

Federal law recognizes the right of victims of crime to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy. However, the DOJ has shown contempt for survivors’ needs and safety at every turn. This was not transparency – it was negligence parading as disclosure and resulting in additional, avoidable injury to sexually abused women and girls whose images and records are now circulating publicly.

Tragically, this harm did not occur in isolation. The Department’s handling of the files, including repeated and unexplained delays even after Congress required their release, reflects a broader pattern of mismanagement and raises serious concerns about whether survivor protection was ever the priority.

We are deeply concerned by the Department’s redaction decisions, which concealed the names of abusers while exposing identifying information of survivors; a clear distortion of whose interests were protected and a stark reversal of the protections survivors are owed.

At every stage, whether through delay or negligent disclosure, the outcome has been the same: the Department of Justice protected powerful people while harming those it is legally and ethically obligated to protect, undermining public trust in the process.

To date, the Department of Justice has yet to meet with Epstein survivors and has failed to fully investigate or bring charges against the perpetrators and enablers identified in the files. The rule of law depends on meaningful oversight, and defiance of congressional authority cannot be normalized. Furthermore, the absence of a confirmed Attorney General is not an excuse for continued inaction.

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi must be held accountable for decisions that endangered survivors, shielded abusers from scrutiny, and obstructed congressional oversight by refusing to comply with this Committee’s subpoena. Her removal from office does not absolve the Department of Justice’s legal and ethical obligations to survivors – obligations the DOJ continues to fail to meet.

To begin correcting these failures, we urge members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to take action to require the Department to:

Investigate and pursue accountability for all credible allegations of abuse contained in the Epstein files, no matter the identity of the perpetrator, and examine the role former Attorney General Pam Bondi played in any failures related to the handling, disclosure, or suppression of those records;
Commit to using a trauma-informed approach to investigating and prosecuting sexual violence, including training for staff that demonstrates care for the needs of survivors;
Center the needs, privacy, and safety of survivors in handling both the release of the remaining files and pursuing justice for Epstein’s victims including: (1) reviewing and correcting disclosures that compromised survivor confidentiality and (2) taking all possible steps to remove improperly released personal information from public circulation; and
Create a system to provide compensation and other forms of assistance, support, and remediation to survivors whose privacy was violated by the Department.

Protecting survivors is not optional — it is a core responsibility of the Department of Justice and this Committee must ensure accountability for the Department’s failures. We will continue advocating for a future where our government meets its obligations to protect the rights, dignity, and privacy of survivors.

Signed,

me too. International
National Women’s Law Center
Justice for Migrant Women
Alliance for Girls
Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues
Collective Threads Initiative
Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Delaware Alliance Against Sexual Violence
EducateUS
Equal Rights Advocates
Feminist Majority
Freedom Network USA
IAmProSe Survivors Network
Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Just Solutions
Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund
Minga Strategies
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Center to Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct, and Exploitation
National Organization for Women
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Our Bodies Ourselves
Respect Together
Tewa Women United
UltraViolet Action
ValorUS
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault
YWCA USA

About me too. International

me too. International is a convener, thought leader, and organizer in the global movement to end sexual and gender-based violence, grounded in Black feminist principles and survivor-led healing and action. Founded in 2018 following the viral rise of #MeToo, we exist to create a container for the ‘me too.’ movement by working to build a global community committed to ending sexual violence and ensuring that survivors have access to the resources they need to heal. We work to dismantle systems, institutions, and narratives that allow sexual violence to persist, and to transform the culture through healing, narrative change, policy, organizing, and digital innovation.

Media Contact:
Jazmine Wilson, JD

Director of Strategic Communications & Policy

press@metoo.org