House Republicans seek DOJ probe of abuse allegations raised by Epstein's assistant

Washington — House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and several Republican lawmakers on Thursday asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations raised by Jeffrey Epstein's longtime assistant that she was abused by two men.

Sarah Kellen, the assistant, told the Oversight Committee that she was the victim of abuse by former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai while working for Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The request came in a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and was released alongside a transcript from Kellen's May interview with the committee, which is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the federal government's handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases.

According to the transcript, Kellen testified that Levine and Fekkai abused her years ago while she was working for Epstein and Maxwell. Kellen also testified that Maxwell abused her.

In their letter, Comer and Reps. Clay Higgins, William Timmons, Andy Biggs and Lauren Boebert urged the Justice Department to use "all available tools, including immunity for certain witnesses," to investigate the allegations and "any other criminal conduct committed by" Levine and Fekkai.

"Sarah Kellen bravely provided testimony before the House Oversight Committee about the horrific abuse she endured for years involving Epstein and Maxwell," Comer said in a statement. "During her transcribed interview, the Oversight Committee received serious allegations of criminal misconduct involving two individuals."

CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. Levine and Fekkai could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kellen's appearance before the committee marked a notable moment in the congressional investigation. Before the transcript was released, Comer described her testimony as "by far the most substantive, productive interview that we've had" and said she had provided lawmakers with three previously unknown names connected to alleged abuse.

"One very positive thing today is she gave us three names of people that were involved in abuse," Comer told reporters after the May 21 interview. "These were new names for us."

Kellen, who worked as Epstein's assistant beginning around 2000, testified that she was sexually and psychologically abused by Epstein for years.

Asked during her interview whether anyone associated with Epstein had abused her, Kellen responded, "Frédéric Fekkai, also Philip Levine, Ghislaine obviously."

She testified that Fekkai abused her in Hawaii after inviting her to what she described as a hair show. She also alleged Levine abused her while she was working for Epstein and Maxwell in Saint-Tropez, France.

According to the transcript, Kellen testified that she did not tell anyone about the alleged abuse by Levine and Fekkai at the time and said no one witnessed it.

The lawmakers' letter also highlighted another aspect of Kellen's testimony. According to the committee, Kellen said she was not contacted by federal, state, local or foreign law enforcement authorities from the time she began working for Epstein until July 2019, after his arrest in New York.

The committee said it is seeking to understand why Kellen was not interviewed earlier as part of previous investigations into Epstein and Maxwell.

The referral is the latest development in the Oversight Committee's investigation, which has expanded beyond the release of Epstein-related records to examine Epstein's network of associates, the government's handling of investigations into him and Maxwell, and potential misconduct by individuals connected to them.

The committee has interviewed a number of high-profile witnesses in recent months, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, billionaire businessman Les Wexner and Epstein associates Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn.

The panel is preparing to interview additional witnesses, including former Epstein associate Lesley Groff and Bill Gates, as lawmakers continue examining Epstein's network and the federal government's handling of the case.

Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted on federal sex-trafficking offenses.