byNick Viland
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) —A traveling exhibit featuring millions of pages of documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein opened Thursday in Columbus, drawing dozens of visitors within its first hour and putting renewed attention on former L Brands CEO Les Wexner's relationship with Epstein.
The"Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room"opened at the Sanctuary on Neil, near Goodale Park, giving visitors an opportunity to examine released Epstein-related documents.
Inside, visitors can walk through a timeline detailing events surrounding the Epstein case and browse a library filled with thousands of pages of documents.
For Epstein survivor Wendy Pesante, walking through the exhibit Thursday brought out emotions she wasn't expecting.
"A little bit heartbroken," Pesante said. "I told everyone that I wouldn't get emotional. I'm not really an emotional person and I did choke up for the timeline. That got me."
Pesante said seeing the documents gathered in one place highlights the scale of the Epstein case and the lasting impact on survivors.
"The magnitude of how big it really was and how many people were affected and how people stayed silent and how we're still affected," Pesante said.
One section of the exhibit, titled the "Les Wexner Wing," focuses on the relationship between Epstein and Wexner, the billionaire businessman and former CEO of L Brands.
Inside the room, organizers have placed two phones encouraging visitors to call Ohio State University and request the removal of Wexner's name from buildings across campus.
David Garrett, executive director of the Institute of Primary Facts, said the exhibit is intended to encourage accountability for those connected to Epstein.
"We can find accountability for the perpetrators or enablers or the people that were mixed up with Epstein, is to make sure that they can't greenwash their names by buying stadiums or football fields or medical centers," Garrett said.
ABC 6 contacted OSU about the exhibit and the status of requests to remove Wexner's name from campus buildings.
The university said the matter is "under consideration."
