Lesley Groff, Jeffrey Epstein's former executive assistant, appeared voluntarily for a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee to "dispel the false notions" that she "knowingly enabled or conspired with him to commit his evil acts." Groff, who worked for Epstein for 18 years, maintained that she was unaware of his abuse, despite booking appointments for him "almost daily." She stated that "nobody ever sounded like they were underage" during these calls and that she was not evaluating voices. Groff's interview was not under oath and marked her first questioning about her connections to Epstein since she spoke to the FBI in 2021.
Groff described Epstein as a "master manipulator and deceiver" who separated his legitimate life from his secret life as an abuser. She told lawmakers that she believed the massage appointments she made for Epstein were with legitimate massage therapists. Groff claimed that Epstein "lied" to her after his 2008 arrest, insisting he had been blackmailed. She also testified that Ghislaine Maxwell told her that Epstein's business was none of her concern. House Oversight Chair James Comer described Groff as "very forthcoming" and "compelling" during her testimony.
Contrarily, another Epstein assistant, Sarah Kellen, provided the House Oversight Committee with three new names of alleged abusers connected to Epstein's network. Kellen, who was previously labeled as a potential co-conspirator, testified that she herself was sexually and psychologically abused by Epstein. House Republicans, led by Comer, have asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations raised by Kellen that she was abused by former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai while working for Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Comer believes Kellen was a victim, not a co-conspirator. These testimonies are part of the committee's ongoing investigation into Epstein's network and the government's handling of related cases.
