Sarah Kellen, a longtime assistant to Jeffrey Epstein who has for years been accused by some survivors of helping facilitate his abuse, told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she was also one of his victims and that he sexually and psychologically abused her for more than a decade.
In a prepared opening statement obtained by ABC News, Kellen said Epstein "groomed me, sexually and psychologically abused me, controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me, until I could no longer tell which thoughts were mine, and which were his." The closed-door interview is part of the committee's ongoing investigation into the federal government's handling of Epstein-related probes.
Kellen, 47, worked closely with Epstein for years and was previously identified in court filings and lawsuits as someone alleged to have arranged appointments for him. She has never been charged.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said before the session that lawmakers wanted to question Kellen about Epstein's day-to-day operations. Asked whether he viewed her as a victim or as someone who helped Epstein commit crimes, Comer said, "I don't know. I am here to listen and learn."
Kellen's statement directly challenged the public image that has followed her for years. She has denied being Epstein's accomplice and said she had been portrayed unfairly in media coverage and legal documents.
She described herself as someon trapped by fear, dependency, and psychological control, invoking concepts such as grooming and trauma bonding. ABC News reported that Kellen told the committee the abuse happened on a "weekly basis" and included an alleged violent assault in Palm Beach, Florida.
"I was being paid in part to be raped. I was on call to him every hour of every day," her statement said. Kellen said she first entered Epstein's orbit after being recruited while living in Hawaii, following a marriage at 17, a divorce, and isolation from her church community. She told lawmakers she was "a perfect target" for Epstein.
Her testimony comes as Congress continues to examine whether law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and powerful figures failed Epstein's victims. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking-related crimes. The committee has also interviewed other Epstein associates. In March, Epstein's former attorney Darren Indyke told the panel he did not know about the abuse of underage girls while it was happening, according to The Associated Press. Democrats on the committee questioned whether Epstein's estate representatives had been fully forthcoming.
