'Reprehensible abuse of power': Lawmaker calls on Jeffrey Epstein prosecutors to apologize

U.S Rep. Lois Frankel is calling for the original Jeffrey Epstein prosecutors to make a public apology to the dozens of victims Epstein lured to his Palm Beach mansion in light of the recent release of the 2006 grand jury documents in a Palm Beach Post lawsuit.

“The now-released secret transcripts of the grand jury proceedings in the Jeffrey Epstein case indicate a reprehensible abuse of power by prosecutors,” the Democrat from West Palm Beach said on X, formerly Twitter.

Frankel also said she wants an explanation from prosecutors for why they vilified the two victims who testified, calling them prostitutes and shaming them for Epstein's abuse.

More: Jeffrey Epstein 2006 grand jury documents are public. Read for yourself what happened

Jeffrey Epstein prosecutors still live in Florida

And finally, Frankel said she plans to re-introduce along with fellow Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz legislation in Congress strengthening victims' rights.

The Post sued in 2019 after learning from sources in its investigation, Jeffrey Epstein, the first failure, that then-State Attorney Barry Krischer torpedoed his own case presented in secret to the grand jury.

Krischer and the two prosecutors who presented the case to the grand jury live in Florida. One still works for the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.

Krischer could not be reached for comment.

More: Is Donald Trump all over Jeffrey Epstein documents released in Palm Beach Post suit?

'It's an embarrassment to our justice system'

The two victims who testified — a fraction of the number found by Palm Beach police — were told by prosecutor Lanna Belohlavek in front of grand jurors that they had committed the crime of prostitution, according to the transcripts released July 1.

What emerged from the proceedings was a single count of solicitation of prostitution against Epstein.

“To me, what happened is a disgrace,” Frankel said. “It’s an embarrassment to our justice system. Back then, I felt the same way.”

Frankel was a co-sponsor of a congressional bill called the Courtney Wild Victims Rights Reform Act, named after a high-profile survivor who was at the forefront of the fight to nullify Epstein’s infamous deal that let him escape a 60-count federal indictment.

Wild sued under the federal Crime Victims Act after Epstein pleaded guilty in state court to two prostitution-related felonies. Victims did not know about the deal ahead of time so they were not able to tell the judge how his abuse had affected their lives.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra ruled in 2019 that prosecutors had indeed violated the Crime Victims Act when the infamous secret nonprosecution agreement was hidden from victims. He later was forced to nullify the ruling when Epstein was found dead later that year.

The bill, introduced in 2022, stalled.

Victim shaming in front of grand jurors

Assistant state attorneys Belohlavek and Mary Ann Duggan, focused on the girls’ behavior during the grand jury proceedings, not that of a man in his 50s performing sex acts on teens who had not reached the age of consent, according to the transcripts. Belohlavek was chief of the Crimes Against Children Unit at the state attorney's office.

Behlohlavek called both girls prostitutes in front of the grand jury, saying to one that you know “you’ve committed a crime.”

Prosecutors emphasized how much money Epstein paid victims

She and Duggan hammered the girls on the money Epstein paid them: On one girl’s MySpace page, she said her income was $250,000.

It was a joke, she said. “Like all my friends do that cause it’s kind of funny and random and stupid.”

“Okay, so it’s not like you’re making money elsewhere … doing similar activity?” Belohlavek said.

The second witness described Epstein forcibly raping her.

Belohlavek asked next how much she was paid.

Did the victims lie about their ages? State law says it doesn't matter

The prosecutors also placed a great deal of focus on the girls’ ages — whether Epstein knew their ages or they had lied to him about how old they were.

Curiously, a state law — in effect now and then — says that when the “criminality of conduct” depends on a victim’s age, neither ignorance, belief that the victim was of age nor lying to the adult are defenses.

Holly Baltz is the investigations editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts: Florida lawmaker wants apology