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Check out Jackie's special guest at the SOTU
Epstein accuser will be among Democratic guests for Trump State of the Union
by Rob Crilly
| February 04, 2020 02:00 PM
An alleged survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse who says he began molesting her when she was 14 will be at the State of the Union as a guest of California congresswoman Jackie Speier.
Today, Courtney Wild, 31, campaigns against the sort of plea deal that in 2008 allowed Epstein to negotiate a 13-month sentence and access a work-release program so he could use his own office. And her name is on the draft of a bill aimed at preventing those deals in the future.
Her presence will serve as a reminder of the allegations of sexism and worse directed at Epstein’s nearby neighbor in Palm Beach, President Trump.
“By attending this year’s SOTU as my distinguished guest, Courtney is helping me send a clear message that women are done with being treated as second-class citizens in our own country,” Speier said. “We are standing up for what is right and to ensure that those who continue to subvert the rule of law and those who fail to hold perpetrators responsible for their malign deeds will not succeed.”
Speier is also a member of the Democratic Women's Caucus, which last month sent a letter to Trump criticizing his “derogation of women.”
“It is as if you relish the opportunity to publicly humiliate any woman who fights back, speaks up, or takes up space,” they wrote after Trump made a joke about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s clash with a female NPR correspondent.
Wild sued the Department of Justice in 2008 on the grounds that prosecutors did not consult with alleged victims before reaching a deal with Epstein, rendering the agreement illegal under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. But Epstein’s death last year at the age of 66 as he awaited trial meant the case was rendered moot and thrown out.
For her part, Wild told the Miami Herald she was “super excited” to attend the State of the Union.
“I think it shows that we have come a long way,” she said. “Hopefully, at the end of it, I would really like to give back to educate our children about sexual abuse and awareness. That’s my goal."
“It’s like giving me a second chance at life,” she added.