By MJ Lee, Annie Grayer, Nicky Robertson, CNN

(CNN) — The House Oversight Committee has discussed with Jeffrey Epstein survivors the possibility of the women providing affidavits about longtime Epstein assistant Lesley Groff – coming on the heels of multiple survivors telling CNN that Groff had lied to the committee last month.

The ongoing deliberations between the committee and Epstein survivors were confirmed to CNN by three sources familiar with the matter and have not been previously reported. One Epstein survivor and two family members of another victim also told CNN that they were asked by the committee to comb through the transcript of Groff’s interview with the panel and alert the committee to anything that looks problematic.

These developments signal that the committee is taking the accounts of Epstein survivors seriously and preparing to hold Groff accountable if she is found to have lied to Congress. While it is not clear what additional steps, if any, the committee might ultimately take related to Groff, lying to Congress is a crime. Committee investigators have also been poring over Groff’s testimony and references in the Epstein files to determine whether Groff was truthful.

CNN has reached out to Groff’s lawyer for comment. They did not respond to CNN’s previous request for comment about what survivors said about her interview with Congress.

Groff worked for Epstein for almost two decades and managed every detail of Epstein’s day-to-day schedule, making her transcribed interview session with the House Oversight Committee in June a significant part of Congress’ ongoing investigation into Epstein. She has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, and told lawmakers last month that she had been duped by a “master manipulator and deceiver.”

But the release of her interview transcript drew outrage from Epstein survivors. CNN reported on survivors taking issue with some of Groff’s key claims, including her insistence that she never met any of the girls and women whom she arranged to give massages to Epstein.

Six Epstein survivors previously told CNN they did meet Groff in person and were dismayed to learn of Groff’s denial.

Lara Blume McGee, who says she met Epstein as an aspiring model and was abused from 2001 to 2003, said she remembers meeting Groff at least twice at Epstein’s townhouse, while Lisa Phillips, who says she was in her early 20s when she first met Epstein, told CNN: “Of course I’ve met her in person.”

Groff also repeatedly told lawmakers that she never asked for or knew the ages of the girls and young women who came to see Epstein, including the fact that some of them were minors. She also said she was never aware that some were coming from local high schools.

Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda told CNN that Groff regularly asked her detailed questions about new girls that Lacerda planned to bring to Epstein, and that Groff was sensitive to Epstein’s preference for younger girls – so much so that she started asking Lacerda to tell her friends to bring their school IDs to their sessions with Epstein.

“She would ask, ‘What does the girl look like? Where is she from? How old is she?’ over the phone,” Lacerda said.

Another survivor, Sharlene Rochard, said it was not possible that Groff didn’t know her age, because she had Rochard’s passport information to plan travel. “Of course she knew how old we were because she had

By Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN

(CNN) — Vice President JD Vance said in a podcast episode that aired Wednesday that the backlash to a UFC fighter’s false and offensive remark about former first lady Michelle Obama was “totally disproportionate” to the comment itself.

Speaking on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in an episode that taped Tuesday, Vance recalled attending his first live UFC event last month and was marveling at the submission holds. Rogan asked if Vance was more surprised by the so-called armbars or by fighter Josh Hokit referring to the former first lady as a man during his victory remarks at the White House.

“Definitely the armbar part,” Vance responded. “I work in politics. People say crazy stuff all the time, man.”

Rogan pushed back on the vice president, noting the context was different for an event hosted at the White House. He added that Hokit makes similar remarks as part of a persona he has cultivated.

“He’s a very good fighter, first of all, but sometimes it’s not enough to get attention,” Rogan said. “What Josh has done is created this persona, like this pro wrestling bad-guy persona.”

“Again, not the best thing to say at the White House. ‘Michelle Obama is a man’ is not the best thing to say,” he added.

“Fair,” Vance replied. “But the reaction to it to me was still totally disproportionate.” He later continued that “people lost their minds about it.”

He brought up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who opened a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in October 2024 with a set replete with racial tropes, including calling Puerto Rico a “floating pile of garbage.” At the time, even many Trump allies criticized the joke.

Vance said people had similarly overreacted to those remarks. “I’m like, ‘He told a joke,’ and the person’s response is, ‘Well, it’s not a very funny joke.’ And my response to that is, ‘You know, what happens when somebody tells me a joke that’s not funny? I don’t laugh, and then I move on with my life.’ This whole industry around outrage, especially getting outraged around humor, I think is actually really hurting the country.”

Earlier in the interview, Rogan asked whether Vance would host a UFC event at the White House if he were ever elected president. Vance demurred, saying, “I don’t know, man.”

Hokit made the false and offensive comment while thanking President Donald Trump after his victory at the White House-hosted UFC event, saying, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”

The comment drew criticism, including from some Trump supporters who had defended the White House-hosted event — which was billed as part of the administration’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

UFC CEO and President Dana White called the remark “nasty and false,” dismissing it as “nonsense.” The White House did not follow suit. In response to an inquiry from CNN’s Jake Tapper about Hokit’s comments, White House communications director Steven Cheung said the UFC fighter “had a great win last night. He showed toughness and the ability to pressure his opponent both on his feet and on the ground.”

Trump himself has ridiculed Obama. Earlier this year, the president refused to apologize after posting and then deleting a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and the former first lady as apes in a jungle, insisting he hadn’t seen the final frames containing the offensive content and blaming an unnamed staffer for the mistake.

The Democratic Party’s X account posted an image of Obama smiling, writing: “Michelle Obama lives in their heads rent-free.”

At the time, CNN reached out to the former first lady’s office for comment and did not receive a response.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The

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