Congressional report finds “decades-long failures” as Epstein preyed on young women and girls

November 10, 2026 / 12:09 PM EST / CBS News

The federal government failed for decades to stop Jeffrey Epstein as he manipulated and sexually abused young women and girls, despite growing evidence of his crimes, according to a report released Tuesday by Republicans on the House Oversight Committee.

The 15-month investigation involved 19 transcribed interviews with witnesses, including some of Epstein's most high-powered associates, and reviews of financial records, Justice Department documents and files from Epstein's estate.

"At nearly every stage, the cases reviewed by the Committee raise troubling questions about how Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who sexually abused and trafficked young women and girls, avoided accountability for so long," the committee's majority wrote. Maxwell is a former socialite and convicted child sex trafficker who was among Epstein's closest confidants.

The committee's Republicans wrote that Epstein targeted vulnerable young women and girls, promising "career opportunities and comfort until the survivors of his crimes became completely dependent and subservient." Along the way, those around him "seemed to have simply blindly obeyed" as he manipulated the young women.

The committee's top Democrat, Robert Garcia, criticized the report, saying it's "based on an incomplete investigation and zero public hearings."

"We will…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/