MAGA Republicans have called for Donald Trump’s handpicked attorney general to investigate fresh allegations of sexual abuse by two high-profile men tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
With Trump set to nominate Todd Blanche to lead the Justice Department full-time, House Oversight Committee chair James Comer and several other GOP colleagues on Thursday asked him to probe explosive new claims made by Epstein’s longtime assistant, Sarah Kellen.
Kellen testified to the committee that she was the victim of sexual assault by two alleged Epstein co-conspirators: celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai and Philip Levine, the former mayor of Miami Beach.
She also testified that the late fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, best known for his intimate portraits of Princess Diana, exposed himself to her.
Ghislaine Maxwell, who Blanche last year quietly transferred to a low-security prison, also abused her, Kellen claimed.
The claims against Fekkai and Levine are the first allegations of criminal conduct unearthed by the committee’s investigation. A spokesperson for Levine told the Daily Beast: “Nearly a quarter century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult. Any allegation suggesting otherwise is not true.”
The Daily Beast has also reached out to Fekkai for comment. Neither of them have been charged with any crime.
“Sarah Kellen bravely provided testimony before the House Oversight Committee about the horrific abuse she endured for years involving Epstein and Maxwell,” said Comer.
“We are referring these allegations to the Department of Justice, which has the tools to investigate criminal misconduct.”
The referral was sent in a letter to Blanche signed by Comer and GOP Congress members Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, Clay Higgins, and William Timmons.
But it lands on Blanche’s desk at a politically fraught moment. The former Trump lawyer has been acting attorney general for two months, but has already managed to antagonize both Republicans and Democrats over a $1.8 billion slush fund and a backroom deal to shield the president and his businesses from tax scrutiny.
Blanche also found himself entangled in the continuing fallout from the Epstein files.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was dismissed in April after months of criticism over delays and redactions in the release of Epstein-related records, effectively blamed Blanche for aspects of the department’s approach during a recent closed-door interview on Capitol Hill.
The dispute has become a flashpoint among Trump’s base, which spent years demanding greater transparency and justice for victims.
Now, the president claims the Epstein files are simply a “hoax.”
