Republican lawmakers are seeking an investigation into former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine after allegations of sexual assault were made against him during testimony in the federal government’s review of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
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House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer and Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday calling on the Department of Justice to investigate Levine after the allegations were made against him by former Epstein assistant Sarah Kellen.
Levine was Miami Beach’s mayor from 2013 to 2017 and was a candidate in the 2018 Florida governor’s race.
The allegations were made by Kellen during her testimony before the House Oversight Committee on May 21.
According to a transcript of her testimony released Thursday, Kellen said Levine was good friends with close Epstein associate and convicted child sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.
Kellen said Epstein and Maxwell had rented a house in Saint Tropez one summer in 2002 or 2003 and Levine had come to stay at the house.
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“And Jeffrey and Ghislaine had gone to bed, and Philip and I were still up. And he — he came up to me, and he was like, ‘You know, must be so lonely for you working with them because you’re with them all the time, and you can’t have your own life, so you must be — must be really lonely,’ and he basically forced himself on me,” she testified.
Kellen said no one witnessed the alleged abuse and she didn’t tell anyone.
A spokesperson for Levine released a statement to NBC News on Thursday.
“Nearly a quarter century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult. Any allegation suggesting otherwise is not true,” the statement read.
During her testimony, Kellen also made allegations of abuse by French celebrity hair stylist Frederic Fekkai.
“Sarah Kellen bravely provided testimony before the House Oversight Committee about the horrific abuse she endured for years involving Epstein and Maxwell,” Comer said in a news release. “Ms. Kellen provided new information crucial to our investigation that is helping to bring transparency for the American people and accountability for survivors. During her transcribed interview, the Oversight Committee received serious allegations of criminal misconduct involving two individuals. The Oversight Committee is not a law enforcement entity, and our role is not to determine guilt or innocence. We are referring these allegations to the Department of Justice, which has the tools to investigate criminal misconduct. We will continue to follow the facts and ensure accountability for survivors.”
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