Journalists (00:00):
[inaudible 00:00:04].
Alicia Arden (00:00):
Okay. I'll follow you.
Gloria Allred (00:00):
Thank you. Oh.
Alicia Arden (01:10):
Okay. She was [inaudible 00:10:55].
Gloria Allred (01:10):
Here, I'll sit here.
Alicia Arden (03:36):
Okay.
Gloria Allred (03:36):
Right here. Go ahead.
Alicia Arden (03:36):
Want me to sit down?
Gloria Allred (03:36):
Right here.
Alicia Arden (03:36):
Okay. My police reporter ain't here today.
Gloria Allred (03:36):
Okay.
Alicia Arden (07:48):
Where'd she go? Okay.
Gloria Allred (11:04):
Okay.
(11:04)
Thank you for coming today. I'm attorney Gloria Allred. I represent Alicia Arden and I'll be doing an introduction, and then Alicia will make a statement. And then I will have some comments of my own. I have also, over a number of years, represented a total of 27 survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.
Gloria Allred (12:01):
This week, the House of Representatives and Congress is expected to take a floor vote in support of or against the Department of Justice's releasing all of the files that it has not yet released to Congress into the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and those who associated with him, who may have enabled, supported or conspired with him to sexually abuse and/or sex traffic underage girls and adults.
(12:34)
For a long time, the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have been calling for the release of those files. While thousands of pages have been released to the House Oversight Committee as a result of a subpoena, which they authorized, thousands more pages have not been provided by the Department of Justice, even though polls show that the majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans in the public have supported the release of those files. Their survivors have made it clear over and over again that they want transparency and they want to know the whole truth concerning how Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Maxwell were able to sexually victimize and sex traffic children and adults for such a long period of time.
(13:28)
Alicia Arden, who is here with me today, is the first victim of Jeffrey Epstein to have proof that she filed a police report because of what Epstein did to her. However, no prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein ever took place in reference to her police report. Alicia will explain how she feels about the upcoming vote in the House and the president's decision yesterday to tell House Republicans to vote to release the files.
(14:06)
After Alicia speaks, I will share my concerns about the latest development on this issue announced by the president and how it may impact the survivors' desire to have all of the Department of Justice's files released. First, however, I'm honored to present Alicia Arden.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Can you move the microphone [inaudible 00:14:32].
Gloria Allred (14:32):
Closer?
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Yeah.
Gloria Allred (14:33):
Sure.
Alicia Arden (14:49):
Thank you, Gloria.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
[inaudible 00:14:50].
Gloria Allred (14:52):
Thank you. Okay.
Alicia Arden (14:53):
Thank you, Gloria, and thank you all for coming and this has been a very-
Gloria Allred (14:59):
Can you speak up a little?
Alicia Arden (15:00):
Oh, okay. Thank you. Thank you, Gloria. Is that better?
Gloria Allred (15:04):
Mm-hmm.
Alicia Arden (15:04):
Thank you. Thanks all for coming. This has been a very emotionally-draining week for me, as I'm sure you all can imagine. And it's been very emotional for so many of the survivors, myself, of Jeffrey Epstein. And the current administration promised during the campaign to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, but all the files were not released due to the House Oversight Committee, even though the campaign and the committee had subpoenaed them. President Trump just told everyone to just move on.
(15:56)
And then, this week, revelations came out in emails from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, which mentioned President, Mr. Trump. And that same president who told us to move on threatened a Republican member of Congress who changed her vote into support the survivors. And then, when it became clear that many Republicans wanted to the vote to release the files, and then the president changed his position and has now told Republicans in the house to vote for the Department of Justice files to be released.
(16:55)
So, as you can imagine, the events of this last week has completely been… It's hard for me to say. It's been very much a complete slap in the face to the victims, myself, who are just reaching and searching for justice in this matter. The only thing that we really learned from last week is that those in Washington are more concerned with playing political games than they are with being honest with the American people and helping the victims, myself, the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Maxwell. And this week the House of Representatives will finally have the opportunity, to decide if the Epstein files will be released.
(18:05)
So, speaking as one of the victims, I beg you to release these files once and for all. I mean, there is no valid reason for refusing to do so. So, you can't claim that it is to protect the victims. I mean, when it is the victims, myself and the victims that have been calling for the files to be released. I mean, this should be a really an easy bipartisan issue. And why would there be a single no vote? My hope is that finally these files will be released and those who were complacent in Jeffrey Epstein's crimes will finally be named. And the American public will get the transparency that they've been promised, and which we all deserve and they deserve.
(19:21)
But if the House does not vote to be releasing these files, it will be very disappointing to all of us. And I mean, what reason could they possibly have for keeping this information such a secret, unless it is to protect themselves? And I believe that. What could they have, in order just to protect themselves at the expense of myself, the victims, all of the public? And the more that we are denied the files, the more we assume that the very politicians who vote now appear to be doing so to hide the facts for their own political or personal reasons. So, once again, I appeal to the members of the House vote to release these files, so that we can finally see who else helped Jeffrey Epstein and who else victimized so many children and adults.
Gloria Allred (20:56):
Thank you, Alicia.
Alicia Arden (20:57):
You're welcome.
Gloria Allred (20:59):
I would like to begin by thanking the president for urging the Republicans in the House to vote to support the discharge petition and on the floor to release the Epstein files. However, I am concerned with what the president has not said. First, he has not explained to the public that a vote to release the files is not really necessary. The House Oversight Committee has already subpoenaed the files and some of the files, but not all of them, have been released. The committee could seek a vote holding the Department of Justice in contempt, but most likely they do not have enough votes to take that step.
(21:44)
Further, the Department of Justice could have released all of the files, and still could voluntarily. They did not need a vote in Congress or a subpoena to do that. However, because they have not released all the files, certain members of Congress want to vote on this issue, and now they'll have the opportunity to do that. If the House votes to support the release of the files, the issue will then go to the Senate for a vote.
(22:14)
I note that the President has not urged the senators to vote to release the files. Even if the senators do vote in favor of the release, the bill will then go to the president, and the President has not indicated that he would even sign such a bill. Further complicating all of this is that the president has directed the Department of Justice to investigate high-level Democrats who were mentioned in the Epstein files. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she would do that, and she directed the Justice Department's office in the Southern District of New York to open the investigation. Will any Republicans whose names are in the files and who were associated with Jeffrey Epstein also have their names be released or will their names be withheld? Will any of them be prosecuted if there's sufficient evidence to do that? Will the release of the names of Democrats in the files contaminate any future prosecution of those individuals named in the files? Also, Democrats who are being investigated should be able to argue selective prosecution, which appears to be political persecution.
(23:42)
There are many more questions that flow from the president's statements and lack of answers to other important questions. The road to full transparency will be a long one, but I feel that the courage of survivors to persevere will
Gloria Allred (24:00):
… will help us to find the answers to many questions that they have. I look forward to as much justice as is still possible for all of the brave survivors, and I'll be happy to take any questions.
Alicia Arden (24:16):
Thank you.
Gloria Allred (24:18):
And Alicia can take any if she wishes to.
Emily Valdez (24:20):
Ms. Allred, I have a question.
Gloria Allred (24:23):
Would you speak up please? Thank you.
Emily Valdez (24:25):
Yes, I have a question, Emily Valdez, KNX. I recall the survivors saying that they were going to put together their own list and release it. Do you have any update on that?
Gloria Allred (24:35):
The question is that she recalls the survivors indicating that they would put together their own list of others, third parties, in addition to Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, whom they alleged sexually exploited, or sexually abused, or sex trafficked them.
Alicia Arden (24:58):
Right.
Gloria Allred (24:59):
The question is, have they done that? The answer is, each one of them knows their own truth. They don't know what happened to many others. There are alleged to be a thousand victims of Jeffrey Epstein. I'm not sure if anybody knows the exact number, but many. So they may know what happened to some of their friends, but maybe they don't know the whole picture. That's what they're looking for.
(25:32)
As to the actual release of the names, that would be very dangerous for the survivors to do it. And there are many attorneys involved, and I have no doubt that the attorneys have warned them that if they release the names of others who sexually abused them and said, "Mr. X raped me, Mr. X sexually assaulted me," that they could be sued by the person whose name they released, who would then say, "You have accused me of a crime," because rape, sexual assault of a child, these are crimes. And that person was likely to say, "You have defamed me. I'm innocent. I didn't do it, and therefore I have filed a defamation lawsuit against you." Most of these survivors do not have sufficient funds to pay an attorney to defend them against a civil defamation lawsuit, which could run hundreds of thousands, to potentially over a million, dollars in fees and costs. That's a danger, and they could be tied up for years in depositions and in that lawsuit, even if it goes to trial, which it may or may not ever go to trial.
(27:09)
Having said that, I would be really surprised, anything is possible, if a survivor decided to release all the names that she knows about. Now, I believe that it was a member of Congress, perhaps it was a Marjorie Taylor Greene, I'm not sure who said that she would release all the names on the floor of the Congress. Well, she would have some legal protection if she did it during a congressional proceeding. However, she's likely to be asked at some point who gave her those names. And then if it comes out that the survivors did, or any of them did, it may be that the survivors, again, will have further legal troubles. So the answer is, I don't know what will come next for the list of the survivors' accusers, well, the survivors who are accusing a third party.
(28:23)
Okay, thank you. Good. Great question. How would they do that? Are there any other questions for Alicia or for myself?
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Do you know Spanish at all?
Alicia Arden (28:40):
[Spanish 00:28:42].
Gloria Allred (28:44):
Enough to answer questions-
Alicia Arden (28:45):
No, [Spanish 00:28:46]-
Gloria Allred (28:46):
… or say anything in Spanish, yes or no?
Alicia Arden (28:48):
[Spanish 00:28:49].
Gloria Allred (28:51):
Probably not enough.
Alicia Arden (28:52):
A little, but probably not enough. A little, [Spanish 00:28:55].
Gloria Allred (28:55):
But if we-
Alicia Arden (28:56):
It's [Spanish 00:28:56], the situation, and I want it to be [Spanish 00:29:01]. It's [Spanish 00:29:01]-
Gloria Allred (29:01):
Okay.
Alicia Arden (29:03):
… this situation.
Gloria Allred (29:04):
If you'd like to wait until afterwards, I could have somebody translate for her.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
[inaudible 00:29:09].
Gloria Allred (29:10):
Okay, be happy to do that.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Thank you, appreciate it.
Gloria Allred (29:12):
Is there anything further, any other questions? The last one was a very good one. Okay.
Alicia Arden (29:20):
I'll ask, what would you love to see happen for your case and for just this whole overall situation? What would be the greatest thing you'd like to see in your guys' corner?
Gloria Allred (29:35):
Well, yeah, there's no case pending right now because in reference to the criminal case of Jeffrey Epstein, he's now deceased. And in reference to Ms. Maxwell, the Supreme Court did not agree to hear her appeal, and so the only hope for her will be a pardon or commutation from the president, which reportedly she's seeking. But in terms of the survivors, they've always wanted truth and transparency. They would like to see all of the files released that the Department of Justice has. That, in other words, that would include investigative files from the FBI, from Homeland Security, and from any prosecutions which took place. The Jeffrey Epstein prosecution had begun, and then he died mysteriously in New York, in custody, and they'd like to see all the files released from the Ms. Maxwell case as well.
(30:48)
So that's what they're fighting for, is accountability and justice. It's not over just because there's been conviction of Ms. Maxwell and the death of Jeffrey Epstein. I just want to add, there's been a great deal of criticism of Todd Blanche, the Deputy Attorney General who interviewed Ms. Maxwell in prison and who has now said recently, when some inconsistencies arose in the answers she gave him that day compared to other responses she had given in the past, that he didn't have in his possession or the Department of Justice didn't have emails from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. So that raises even more questions. Why didn't they, if they didn't, why didn't the Department of Justice ever subpoena the emails in the Jeffrey Epstein files of the estate? How could a Deputy Attorney General of the United States go in and interview a convicted felon without having possession of those files? Again, more questions than answers. I don't know any prosecutor who would've done that. And of course, to have that high level prosecutor, even interviewing Ms. Maxwell, is also very suspicious as well. Any other questions?
Speaker 4 (32:32):
I have-
Speaker 3 (32:33):
If this doesn't work, Trump wanting to release the names and stuff, what do you think would work to finally get these files, get these names? This case has been going on for a long time.
Gloria Allred (32:46):
Yeah, and again, now, because he's directed the criminal investigation of these high-profile Democrats, such as former President Clinton and others, [inaudible 00:33:01] this further complicates the whole situation. Is the Department of Justice going to say, "Well, we can't release anything that would be the usual profile in reference to these Democrats because we're investigating them. So we can't let the public know any evidence about them." So will they use that as a reason not to release that part of the files? But then what about any Republicans, high-level, rich, famous, powerful men who also associated with Jeffrey Epstein, who were Republicans?
(33:42)
I want to just add, in all my years involved in this case and discussions with many survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, not once has anyone said to me, "Is the person who sexually abused me a Democrat or Republican?" It's not something they cared about. They just wanted justice for him. They didn't care if he even ever voted, or was an independent, or not affiliated with a party. So now we're just involved in this political bloodbath, trying to get answers. So all I can say is, when the fog of political war clears, I certainly hope that the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein will have more answers and information than they have now.
Speaker 5 (34:41):
[inaudible 00:34:43]-
Speaker 4 (34:44):
I have one [inaudible 00:34:45].
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Go ahead [inaudible 00:34:45].
Speaker 4 (34:45):
Oh, I wanted to get Ms. Arden, is it okay, are you comfortable sharing a little bit of your story of what happened to you with Jeffrey?
Gloria Allred (34:58):
You want to get closer here to the [inaudible 00:34:59]?
Alicia Arden (34:58):
Sure.
Speaker 6 (34:58):
[inaudible 00:34:59] I'll move this [inaudible 00:34:59].
Gloria Allred (34:58):
Okay. Go ahead.
Alicia Arden (34:58):
Well, I have been asked this question-
Gloria Allred (35:00):
Good.
Alicia Arden (35:01):
… many times, and I always say, which is the truth, I speak to you as if we are coming back in 1997. So this happened to me in 1997. So if you come back with me, is a different time, in 1997, which I thought I was highly always modeling and acting. I was auditioning for Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210. And I was working on Doogie Howser, and I was doing many shows, and many, many, many modeling lingerie ads. And I did all these things where, and I was in Playboy, but I was in lingerie. But on the left side of me was Cindy Crawford in the magazine, and Claudia Schiffer, my two favorite Victoria's
Alicia Arden (36:00):
The Secrets models, and I'm in the magazine with them. So I thought, I'm going to send my pictures to New York. And I somehow got wind of him from a friend of mine that was pursuing him for some type of real estate, and she went to meet him. And then he asked her, and he came to California from New York, and he had already seen my pictures-
Gloria Allred (36:29):
Meaning Jeffrey Epstein?
Alicia Arden (36:30):
Jeffrey Epstein, yes.
Gloria Allred (36:31):
Okay.
Alicia Arden (36:32):
Yes. And he wanted to meet me. So I was notified and called by his secretary, which to this day I think could have been Ghislaine Maxwell, but I don't know for sure. So I did go meet him. He ended up meeting my friend first, Jeffrey Epstein, and he had asked, "Do you know anyone that wants to be in Victoria's Secrets?" And she said, "No." And then she said, " I don't want to be in Victoria's Secrets, but my friend Alicia does." And Jeffrey Epstein said, "Have her call me and anything else, and anyone else who wants to be in Victoria's Secrets." Which is why to this day, it makes perfect sense to me now that he was recruiting what we all saw that he did, but I didn't know that that's what he did and became of him.
Gloria Allred (37:26):
Where did you meet him?
Alicia Arden (37:27):
I ended up in the hotel room with him for what I thought was a Victoria's Secrets lingerie catalog audition.
Gloria Allred (37:33):
Which hotel was that?
Alicia Arden (37:35):
Shutters.
Gloria Allred (37:36):
In?
Alicia Arden (37:36):
In Santa Monica, California. And I wanted so desperately, like any model, to be in Victoria's Secrets. And I know that I could because I was doing so much other, and I know I could do it, and I know I could be in there based on my beautiful modeling pictures. And so we were there in the hotel room and he opened the door. He was barefoot in what appeared to be a suite with a kitchen and a whole entire living room. It's very expensive to stay there and be there at Shutters. So he opened the door, and I'll never forget it, he had on a white shirt, it might've been Fila at the time, and black lingerie pants or no, black sweatpants. Sweatpants not lingerie. Sweatpants. Black.
(38:36)
Oh no, he was barefoot. So he wanted to see my portfolio. And so it was going well until he said, "Come closer to me and then I want to start manhandling you." He asked me to turn around, and normally in an audition you might end up in a bathing suit and you take off your wrap in a bathing suit and you model and turn around, which is legitimate to do that. But then he wanted me to come closer and he started touching me and I just couldn't handle it anymore. And he said, "Let me manhandle you," which I've never heard that word. And it's very upsetting because he said that to me. I've never forgotten it. And he wanted to manhandle me, start touching my buttocks, my stomach, my hips and thighs and my chest. And it just was becoming apparent that I just felt like I was going to, just involved in a situation I didn't want to be in.
(39:38)
So I wanted to leave. And so I said, "Jeffrey, I'm going to leave." And then he said to me, "I will give you $100." And to this day, it's so hard for me to say, because I said, "I'm not a prostitute. I only want to be in Victoria's Secrets. I only want to be in the catalog." And I didn't take it. I threw it on the table. And because I did not want to go on what all the touching anymore, was not right, it's not what happens in an audition. So I said, "I'm taking my portfolio and I'm leaving and I'm leaving." So I left and he's following me out of the room and he gave me the $100 and I didn't know really what to do. So I decided to take it because if you've been a model and actress in LA and you are living in Hollywood, driving to auditions in Santa Monica in LA it's a lot of gas. So then I did.
(40:39)
I said, "Okay, I'm leaving." So he followed me to Valley parking in the Shutter's Hotel and he got his car, which was a black Mercedes. And then I went out into mine and I said, "Okay, so I'm leaving." And he just kind of waved and didn't say anything. I think he said, "I'll call you." But I just was so traumatized as to what took place and him touching me and groping me and telling me he wanted to manhandle me. And I'm in a bra and underwear at this point because that's what happens when you're going in for a lingerie catalogs you do have to be in a bra and underwear, in a swimsuit, to get the job. But I physically thought I was going to get it, and I had no idea that he really wasn't really who he said he was.
(41:37)
And then I just felt I needed to leave. I drove right to the Santa Monica Police Department, which is across the street from the Shutter's Hotel. And so I just felt I needed to do it and that I'm sure I've put out there before. I don't know if you want me to into that. That was a whole saga. I went in and they didn't really want me to file it, and I felt I had to. So they took a little bit. They told me to think about it and come back, think about it, and come back. And so I just really wanted a female police officer, which I ended up not getting, but I did it. And to this day, I'm happy that I did. And I said everything in my statement, that he was touching me and groping me and taking my clothes off as to already I was already, my clothes were off, but I just felt I needed to get out of there.
(42:33)
And I felt I had to file the police report because what if he was doing this to other girls? I'm solely in there for a legitimate audition and he's already seen my pictures. But I did get a phone call from a woman and then, oh, when I was in the room, I was crying in front of him a lot because I wanted to get in the catalog so bad. And he was saying, "Well, you look great in this picture, but then you look really busty." He did say that to me, "You look really busty in this picture." And I said, "I am very fit. I'm in fitness magazines.
(43:14)
A camera, you can appear bigger or not. So that's great. And so then he did say that, and then he said, "I'll have to see." And then I started crying. And then he did get another phone call on his cell phone in front of me. And I, to this day, think, I can't prove it, but I think-
Speaker 7 (43:34):
[inaudible 00:43:35].
Alicia Arden (43:35):
… It was Ghislaine Maxwell, allegedly. I think they were together in 1997, right? In 1997. And then she called maybe, he answered the phone and he said, "I have this beautiful girl in front of me and she's very upset." Before I said I had to leave. I was crying in front of him because I wanted to desperately get the catalog, the magazine so badly. And so he said, "I have this beautiful girl in front of me and she's very upset." And I think it was her, but I can't prove it. But …
Gloria Allred (44:11):
Thank you. Okay, anything else? Thank you very much for coming today.
Alicia Arden (44:15):
Okay.
Crew (44:15):
[inaudible 00:46:16].