Republican lawmakers are pushing federal investigators to examine sexual assault allegations involving a celebrity hairstylist and a former Miami Beach mayor, both named in recent congressional testimony by Jeffrey Epstein's longtime personal assistant.
Sarah Kellen, who worked for Epstein for more than a decade starting around 2001, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee in a closed-door interview last May that she endured years of abuse from Epstein himself. But she also alleged separate incidents of sexual assault involving Frédéric Fekkai, a French-born celebrity stylist, and Philip Levine, who previously led Miami Beach's government, according to lawmakers who disclosed the claims Thursday.
The allegations mark the first time the Republican-led oversight panel has formally referred specific names of alleged criminal conduct to the Department of Justice as part of its broader investigation into Epstein's operations. James Comer, the GOP chair of the committee, and four other Republican representatives sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting a full investigation, including consideration of immunity agreements to secure witness cooperation.
Neither Fekkai nor Levine has faced criminal charges related to the accusations. Both have denied any misconduct.
Fekkai's spokesperson told CNN that the hairstylist never assaulted anyone and was unaware of Epstein's criminal activity. "Mr Fekkai was astonished to read of Ms. Kellen's testimony," the statement said, adding that Fekkai "never participated in any illegal behavior." The representative also disputed that Fekkai introduced Kellen to Epstein.
Levine's camp characterized the encounter differently, telling CNN through a spokesperson that "nearly a quarter-century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult." In February testimony before the public release of millions of Epstein-related files, Levine stated he met Epstein only a handful of times and was not close to him, saying his connection to the financier came through his former friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell.
Levine's name appears more than 600 times in the Justice Department's released Epstein files, including in direct correspondence with Epstein and Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking crimes. The congressional letter alleged that Fekkai was a close Epstein associate who helped facilitate his abuse by providing salon services at Epstein's direction.
Kellen's account carries particular weight in law enforcement circles because of her decade-plus proximity to Epstein. She has characterized herself as a victim, describing in congressional testimony how Epstein "groomed me, sexually and psychologically abused me, controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me." She faced public criticism after her name appeared in Epstein's controversial 2007 plea agreement as a potential "co-conspirator," though she has consistently denied involvement in wrongdoing.
A separate concern raised by lawmakers centers on law enforcement's apparent failure to interview Kellen during the years between her employment with Epstein and his 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges. The congressional letter notes that Kellen was never contacted by federal, state, local, or foreign authorities throughout that entire period.
Comer emphasized that the oversight committee's role is not to determine guilt or innocence but to direct serious allegations toward proper investigative channels. "Our role is not to determine guilt or innocence," Comer said. "We are referring these allegations to the Department of Justice, which has the tools to investigate criminal misconduct."
The letter was signed by Comer along with Republican representatives Lauren Boebert, William Timmons, Clay Higgins, and Andy Biggs.
Author James Rodriguez: "It's telling that after all the noise surrounding Epstein's associates, Congress is finally pushing DOJ to actually investigate named accusers instead of letting powerful men hide behind media silence."
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