Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, running for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, toured a traveling exhibition showcasing documents related to U.S. Department of Justice investigation documents of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in Des Moines Sep. 22, 2026. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott criticized Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice for not taking action to investigate the crimes of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and related parties as she visited a “reading room” traveling exhibit on the “Epstein files.”
The exhibition, hosted at The Loft DSM, is an event staged by The Institute for Primary Facts and DEFIANCE.org, and includes books that contain excerpts of documents, released by the DOJ in 2025, stemming from the federal investigation into Epstein and his collaborators. Some of the information in the records has been redacted.
Some Republicans have called for the DOJ to publicly release more government documents related to Epstein, but much of the push for more information has come from Democrats who link President Donald Trump to Epstein.
At the “reading room” exhibition, Trone Garriott spoke with organizers who included family members of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes, as well as Sharlene Rochard, who said she is a victim of Epstein. Trone Garriott said she was moved by the stories told in the exhibit and called for Congress to take more action to prosecute and investigate people involved in these crimes.
“I’m so disappointed that Congress has been so weak on this issue, and that the Department of Justice has not done its job, and actively worked to prevent a real investigation from happening,” Trone Garriott said.
Trone Garriott, the Democratic candidate running for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, criticized her opponent, incumbent U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, for not supporting measures to compel the DOJ to release more information. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, filed a discharge petition to have the House consider a bill that would allow state attorneys general, victims and members of Congress to sue the DOJ for not disclosing documents related to the Epstein investigation — a petition Nunn has not signed. Only three other Republicans, Reps. Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman and Brian Fitzpatrick have signed the discharge petition.
“We need elected leaders who will stand up for what’s right, and make sure the truth is told, and that powerful people are held accountable for their crimes,” Trone Garriott said.
In 2025, Nunn, alongside other members of Iowa’s all-GOP federal delegation, said they supported providing more public information about Epstein, but supported the Trump administration and DOJ approach to releasing information.
“Transparency and accountability from our government isn’t optional, it’s a duty,” Nunn said in 2025. “Jeffrey Epstein is a disgusting human being who committed horrific crimes. Victims deserve justice, not DC politicians who want to use them to score political points.”
Scott Roberts, the brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, thanked Trone Garriott for attending the exhibition and “giving us the opportunity to share our stories with her.” He said he supported candidates like Trone Garriott, who he said are willing to stand up to “the most rich and powerful” in society.
“What we need is we need congressional leaders that are willing to have a backbone, and are willing to stand up for survivors that are willing to listen to our stories, that are willing to act,” Roberts said.