Steve Corbin is emeritus professor of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa and a contributing columnist to 246 newspapers and 48 social media platforms in 45 states, who receives no remuneration, funding, or endorsement from any for-profit business, nonprofit organization, political action committee, or political party. 

Maria Farmer reported her sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the New York Police Department and the FBI on August 29, 1996. Ms. Farmer contacted the FBI as advised by the police. On September 3, 1996, the FBI identified the case as “child pornography,” since naked or semi-naked hard copy pictures existed.

Files including Farmer’s 1996 complaint were not required to be made public until late 2025. President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law on November 19. The law required that all files be released by December 19. But under the leadership of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice (DOJ) failed to release 100 percent of the files.

Obviously, members of Congress should question six individuals who had access to the original 1996 file during their tenure as FBI director: Louis French, Robert Mueller, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Christopher Wray, and Kash Patel.

Likewise, ten current or former U.S. attorneys general should testify before Congress about the case. Those who have led the DOJ since 1996 are Janet Reno, John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales, Michael Mukasey, Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Jeff Sessions, William Barr, Merrick Garland, and Pam Bondi.

Questions asked of the above FBI and DOJ leaders might include the following:

Establishing the factual record

When did you first learn of the 1996 complaint against Epstein and Maxwell, and through what channel (e.g., briefing, media report, internal audit, inspector general review, civil litigation, etc.)?

What, if anything, did you do when you first became aware of the 1996 complaint?

During your tenure, was the 1996 complaint ever flagged, re-opened or re-reviewed in connection with later federal investigations of Jeffrey Epstein or related sex-trafficking and child-exploitation cases? If so, what did you do about the case? If not, why not?

Decisions or non-decision on the 1996 complaint

At any time during your leadership, did you review or order a review of the 1996 complaint to assess whether FBI and/or DOJ personnel mishandled allegations of child pornography, threats or child sexual exploitation?

If not, why not?

Systematic failures in child-sex-abuse cases

During your tenure, what changes were implemented to ensure that tips involving alleged child pornography and/or child sexual exploitation were: A) logged correctly, B) assessed by specialized child-exploitation units and C) reported to state, local and tribal authorities within the required time framework?

Director-level accountability

What do you think is the proper recourse for any FBI director or DOJ leader employed since 1996 who was negligent about the child pornography-related crimes alleged against Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators?

Culture, incentives, and possible favoritism

At any time in your leadership role, did you have any evidence that the complainant, Maria Farmer, was disbelieved, minimized, or discredited because she was accusing a wealthy, well-connected figure?

During your tenure, did you and/or your associates discuss the risks of “rocking the boat” with politically connected targets in child-sex or exploitation investigations?

Remedies for survivors, FBI reforms, and DOJ reforms

Will you support a bipartisan congressional investigation on the handling of the Maria Farmer complaint and all related leads since 1996, including naming responsible federal officials who failed their duty as well as disclosing to the public the names of individuals who were involved in child pornography, sex trafficking and child-exploitation?

What concrete remedies should be offered to the approximately 1,200 female survivors whose abuse might have been prevented had the 1996 complaint been properly pursued, such as expedited victim-compensation and/or formal apologies from the FBI and DOJ?

A call to action for citizens

First, contact each of your members of Congress (your U.S. representative and both senators from your state) to ask them to support a full investigation of this matter. Why did six FBI directors and ten U.S. attorneys general since 1996 not take proper action related to the Maria Farmer complaint? A prompt investigation could have spared some 1,200 girls or women allegedly harmed by Epstein, Maxwell, and others.

Next, contact members of Congress who have major responsibility for oversight of the relevant federal agencies. Request in-depth hearings on the handling or mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. That would include members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the House Judiciary Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Finally, ask your representatives in Congress to take two additional actions: 1) eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal charges and civil lawsuits related to child pornography, sexual assault, and sex trafficking; and 2) revise the Epstein Files Transparency Act to make clear that while protecting victims’ identities is crucial, the law prohibits broad redactions that shield powerful individuals or jeopardize the public interest.