Epstein survivors dispute former assistant Lesley Groff's testimony before Congress: Report
Several survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have disputed key claims made by his longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, during her testimony before the House
Several survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have disputed key claims made by his longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, during her testimony before the House Oversight Committee, saying her account is inconsistent with their experiences, according to a CNN report. Groff, who worked as Epstein's assistant for 18 years, told lawmakers on June 9 that she had never met the girls and young women who gave massages to Epstein, did not know their ages or backgrounds, and was unaware of Epstein's abuse. She said she had been manipulated by Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal conduct, CNN reported. However, multiple Epstein survivors interviewed by CNN said they met Groff on several occasions, interacted with her directly and received payments from her. 'She's lying,' survivor says Marina Lacerda, who told the news outlet she first met Epstein in 2002 when she was nearly 14, rejected Groff's testimony outright. "She's lying. Just me and my friends, she's met at least three or four of us," Lacerda was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
Other survivors echoed similar accounts. Sharlene Rochard said she met Groff "multiple times in different locations," while Lara Blume McGee recalled meeting her at least twice at Epstein's New York townhouse. Lisa Phillips also told CNN that she had met Groff in person. Two women who spoke anonymously to CNN likewise said they had frequent interactions with Groff at Epstein's New York residence and office. Dispute over knowledge of victims' ages Survivors also challenged Groff's assertion that she did not know how old the girls were. According to CNN, Lacerda said Groff routinely asked about the ages of girls she intended to introduce to Epstein. "She would ask, 'What does the girl look like? Where is she from? How old is she?'" Lacerda reportedly said. Rochard said Groff handled passport details for travel arrangements, making it impossible for her not to know their ages. "Of course she knew how old we were because she had to look at our IDs to book our flight," Rochard said, according to CNN.
One anonymous survivor told CNN that Groff helped her apply for her first passport, while another said Groff regularly saw her arriving in a school uniform after leaving classes early. Claims of direct payments Several survivors also disputed Groff's testimony that she had not paid the girls directly. Lacerda alleged that Groff frequently handed her cash in white envelopes, particularly when Epstein was away. "She would put it in a long white envelope and the cash would always be in hundreds," Lacerda told the outlet. Another anonymous survivor said she regularly collected envelopes containing money from Groff. "We would go pick up money from Lesley every other day... We had no money unless we brought a girl," she told CNN. Lisa Phillips also said she collected tuition checks from Groff at Epstein's office. Congress reviewing testimony The news outlet reported that a spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee said lawmakers are reviewing Groff's testimony against available evidence.
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