The Story of the Sisters Who First Tried to Expose Jeffrey Epstein

The Trump administration has been on the back foot over the “Epstein Files” for months. The crimes of the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, and the alleged involvement of high-profile

figures, have developed into a political issue. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, had previously emphasised transparency regarding federal investigations into Epstein. In a recent shift, Trump has urged Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote to make the Epstein files available for public review.Epstein was found to have sexually exploited and abused minor girls at properties in Manhattan, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, as well as other locations. Several survivors of abuse by Epstein and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell have provided accounts of the assaults and their impact.Before any formal police investigation, two sisters, Maria and Annie Farmer, were the first to report Epstein and Maxwell to the authorities. Their accounts span from the mid-1990s through the later legal proceedings against Epstein and Maxwell. They are often described as the earliest known survivors to report misconduct to the authorities.

The Story of Maria and Annie Farmer

Maria Farmer, an artist, had moved to New York to pursue her passion and study at the New York Academy of Art. It was during her graduation show that she is said to have met Epstein and Maxwell. She was introduced to the pair by her dean, who also encouraged her to sell a painting at a discount. Maria specialised in figurative work and had trained under artists such as Eric Fischl, known for his psychologically intense paintings. Epstein was renovating a townhouse and she was offered work acquiring art and managing the entrance. It was during this time that Maria, who was 25, began noticing visits by young women who said they were attending auditions for a lingerie brand. Maxwell’s presence could be reassuring, but she was also known to bring young women to Epstein. In a report published by the New York Times by Mike Baker, titled The Sisters Who First Tried to Take Down Jeffrey Epstein, he wrote: “Ms Maxwell would refer to the girls she was looking for as ‘nubiles,’ Ms Farmer [Maria] said. ‘They had a driver, and he would be driving along, and Ghislaine would say, “Get that girl,”’ she said. ‘And they’d stop, and she’d run out and get the girl and talk to her.’” Maria is said to have met some high-profile names at Epstein’s townhouse.Annie was 16 years old when she met Epstein and Maxwell. He had taken an interest in her after Maria mentioned her plans for college. Annie first met him in New York, where Epstein greeted her wearing sweatpants as he discussed her future. Later he bought her a plane ticket to New Mexico in the spring of 1996 under the pretence that he could help the high-school junior with her university ambitions. In her testimony in December 2021, she said: “It made me feel special that they wanted to spend time with me.” Annie was under the impression that other students would also be at his ranch in New Mexico, but she found herself alone there with Epstein and Maxwell.“The visit grew uneasy, Farmer told the jury, as Maxwell, who she believed at the time was Epstein’s romantic partner, coaxed her into giving him a foot massage and Maxwell repeatedly asked her if she wanted a massage as well,” reported Tom Winter, Adam Reiss and Erik Ortiz for NBC News in the article titled Epstein accuser says Ghislaine Maxwell groped, pressured her into massage.According to the report, Annie said Epstein “seemed to be enjoying it and seemed to make groaning noises… I felt very uncomfortable.”“Farmer said she felt pressured to partake in a massage, and later relented when Maxwell set up a table. Farmer was topless. At one point, she said, she rolled over and Maxwell rubbed her chest,” reported NBC News.Maria was unaware of her sister’s trauma and had gone to Epstein’s estate in Ohio to work on her art. It was there that the pair joined her, and one night Epstein made an unusual request for a foot massage. During the massage Maxwell joined in, and suddenly it turned into a nightmare for Maria, as she was groped by the pair. She fled the room, fearing sexual assault. She had kept three nude photographs of Annie and another sister, who was 12, as reference material for her figurative paintings. Those pictures were missing.Maria sought help from mentors and family members, then contacted the New York Police Department. She later went to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and attempted to report Epstein’s behaviour, including the presence of young women at his homes. She also spoke to people in the art world. She and Annie tried to tell their story to a national magazine, but nothing came of their efforts. Maria eventually left New York after what she described as threats, and later said she abandoned her art career. She stated that she could manage what had happened to her but could not bear what had happened to Annie.The sisters continued to speak out years later when Epstein was arrested and when other accusers came forward. Their reports from 1996 are now recognised as the earliest publicly known allegations involving Epstein and young women.