One of the people who worked closest to Jeffrey Epstein has given Congress three names it had not heard before. Sarah Kellen, Epstein’s former personal assistant, testified to the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door session on May 21, naming hairstylist and businessman Frederic Fekkai, former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine, and fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier as figures she alleged were tied to the abuse linked to Epstein’s operation. None of the three has been charged, and the claims remain allegations made in testimony.
Why This Testimony Matters
For years, the public account of Epstein’s network has revolved around a familiar and relatively short list of names. Investigations stalled, records stayed sealed, and survivors repeatedly said the full picture had never been allowed to surface. Kellen occupied a rare vantage point inside that world, and her decision to speak to a congressional committee under oath is significant precisely because it widens the field of people the inquiry is willing to examine.
Closed-door testimony is not a verdict. But historically, it is one of the mechanisms through which dormant cases get a fresh look — putting names on the record, prompting document requests, and giving prosecutors a reason to revisit material that had been set aside.
What Was Said
According to reporting from CNN, ABC News, and Newsweek, Kellen named three men during the session: Frederic Fekkai, a well-known figure in the beauty and salon industry; Philip Levine, the former mayor of Miami Beach; and Patrick Demarchelier, a celebrated fashion photographer. She described each as connected to the abuse associated with Epstein’s operation.
It is important to be precise about what this is. These are allegations raised in testimony, not findings of a court. No charges have been filed against any of the three men, and each is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The committee heard the account; it did not adjudicate it.
The Committee Responds
Committee Chair James Comer did not treat the testimony as a closed matter. He has formally asked the Department of Justice to investigate the claims — a step that moves the allegations out of a sealed congressional record and toward the federal agency with the power to actually pursue them.
That referral is the pivot point. A committee can take testimony and make a request, but it cannot bring charges. Whether anything comes of Kellen’s account now depends largely on whether the DOJ opens a serious review or lets the referral join the long backlog of Epstein-related leads that never advanced.
What This Means for Americans
The Epstein case has become a test of whether wealth and proximity to power can indefinitely shield people from scrutiny. Each time a new firsthand account emerges and a committee acts on it, the question is the same: will the system follow the evidence wherever it leads, or will it stop at the edge of the politically and financially connected? For the survivors who have spent years demanding a fuller accounting, the value of this moment is simple — names are on the record, and a federal agency has been formally asked to act.
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