'Treated survivors like prostitutes,' Rep. Frankel says ahead of WPB Epstein hearing
Posted: Mon May 11, 2026 8:33 pm
https://cbs12.com/news/local/florida-cr ... ersy-trump
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said on Monday that a long-awaited congressional field hearing in Palm Beach County will focus on what she described as a historic failure of the justice system that allowed Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young women to continue for years.
Frankel, a Democrat who represents Florida’s 22nd District, will join House Oversight Committee Democrats Tuesday at 10 a.m. for a field hearing examining the handling of Epstein’s case and the decisions that shielded him from accountability. Testimony is expected from survivors, the survivors' attorney, and a human rights advocate, with a press conference scheduled to follow.
“This is where Palm Beach County, I’m going to apologize, because there was a grave miscarriage of justice by our state attorney back there, Barry Krischer,” Frankel said in an interview after a $4 million federal funding announcement. She accused prosecutors at the time of minimizing victims and failing to pursue the case aggressively despite substantial evidence.
“They demeaned survivors,” Frankel said.