Republicans demand investigation into sexual assault allegations made by Epstein’s former assistant
Several Republican politicians have urged the department of justice to launch an investigation into allegations raised by Jeffrey Epstein’s former assistant that she was abused by two men in his orbit.
Sarah Kellen, a longtime aide to Epstein, testified to the House oversight committee in May that she had been sexually assaulted by Philip Levine, a former Florida mayor, and Frédéric Fekkai, a celebrity hairdresser.
James Comer, the Republican chair of the committee, and other senior members of his party have written to the acting US attorney general demanding an investigation into the allegations.
Neither Mr Levine nor Mr Fekkai has been charged with crimes in relation to Epstein, and both deny wrongdoing.
In a letter to Todd Blanche, who was named on Thursday as Donald Trump’s pick for US attorney general, Mr Comer urged the department of justice to “use all available tools, including immunity for certain witnesses, to investigate the allegations against, and any other criminal conduct committed by Philip Levine and Frédéric Fekkai”.
US Rep Robert Garcia (D-CA) speaks at a hearing with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse at West Palm Beach City Hall – Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The letter was signed by four other Republicans, including Clay Higgins, who is also the chairman of the US subcommittee on federal law enforcement.
In closed-door testimony to the department of justice, Ms Kellen testified that she was “sexually and psychologically abused” by Epstein for more than a decade as his personal assistant from 2001, and became “trapped inside his world” as a “literal indentured slave”.
She also claimed that she was assaulted by Mr Levine and Mr Fekkai. Ms Kellen alleged that Mr Levine “basically forced himself on me” one night in 2002 or 2003 at a house in the south of France, around a decade before he became the mayor of Miami Beach in Florida.
A spokesman for Mr Levine told The Telegraph: “Nearly a quarter century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult. Any allegation suggesting otherwise is not true.”
Ms Kellen also accused Mr Fekkai, whom she claimed introduced her to Epstein, of taking advantage of her at a hotel in Hawaii in late 2000 or early 2001 after inviting her to “be in a hair show that didn’t exist”.
Mr Fekkai was contacted for comment by The Telegraph.
Ms Kellen said she was also assaulted by Patrick Demarchelier, a fashion photographer who died in 2022, after he “walked over to me with his pants down” following a photoshoot around 2002.
Hair Stylist Frédéricc Fekkai speaks at an event at AOL Studios In New York – John Lamparski
In the letter to Mr Blanche, the Republican politicians claimed it marked the “first names of alleged criminal conduct” that the committee had referred to the department of justice since it launched an investigation into Epstein.
The politicians also claimed that Mr Levine’s name appears “over 600 times in files released by the department of justice … including in direct correspondence with Epstein and[[Ghislaine]Maxwell“, the paedophile’s former girlfriend.
The Republicans also alleged that Mr Fekkai was “a close friend of Mr Epstein who played a role in his grooming schemes by routinely providing salon services to women at Epstein’s instruction”.
A spokesman for Mr Fekkai told CNN that he “never ‘took advantage'” of Ms Kellen and “did not introduce her to Jeffrey Epstein”.
They added that Mr Fekkai was “astonished to read of Ms Kellen’s testimony”, and “never abused anyone”.
“He never participated in any illegal behavior. He knew nothing about Epstein’s repugnant depravity or trafficking. He did nothing wrong,” they said.
Mr Fekkai, a French hairstylist, appears frequently in the Epstein files published by the US department of justice.
The Telegraph previously reported that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor attended a party hosted by the salon owner at the Boom Boom Room, a top-floor lounge in New York’s Standard hotel, during a trip to visit Epstein in 2010.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor later claimed he planned the week-long trip to break off ties with Epstein, but emails show the pair partying together and even considering a spontaneous trip to the financier’s private island.
Mr Levine, who now runs the media arm of Royal Caribbean Cruises and is on the Miami host committee of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, has previously claimed that he only met Epstein a few times.
“As I have stated previously, my only connection to Jeffrey Epstein arose solely through my former friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell, he told WLRN, a Florida media outlet in February.
“I met Epstein only a few times. I never conducted business with him, never visited his island and never flew on his aircraft. I regret ever meeting him.”
Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine speaks to supporters at his primary election night gathering – Joe Skipper/Getty Images
Ms Kellen, who has denied allegations that she was one of Epstein’s co-conspirators, said in May that she was never questioned by law enforcement until the paedophile’s death in 2019.
Her name was included in a controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2007 that allowed Epstein’s associates to testify against him without being penalised before a 2008 trial in Florida.
Ms Kellen told the US department of justice that she did not know her name would be included on the non-prosecution list, and that “no one from law enforcement ever spoke with me, ever heard my side, ever asked me a single question”.
Epstein’s death while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019 was ruled a suicide. The US department of justice has identified 1,200 names of his potential victims, including some as young as 14.
DOCUMENTED REFERENCES
Exploring Documented Records
Public interest in the Epstein case continues not only because of court proceedings and testimonies, but also due to the growing body of documented records that help researchers and readers understand the broader context. Beyond legal files and media reports, some independent projects have organized publicly available data connected to Epstein’s activities.
One example is a structured archive of documented Amazon order records, where purchases are cataloged with dates and product details. While individual items do not prove wrongdoing on their own, examining documented information alongside established facts helps paint a clearer picture of the environment and circumstances surrounding the case.
Browse the structured archive of documented order records
For readers looking to review primary-source style data rather than interpretations, exploring compiled records can provide additional context to the broader discussion.
