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Ro Khanna’s State of the Union guest recruited over 20 underage girls for Epstein: ‘Like Heidi Fleiss’
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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is bringing a guest to the State of the Union who, at 16-years-old, started helping introduce Jeffrey Epstein to underage girls in the early 2000s after having been exploited by the disgraced financier herself as a minor.
Haley Robson was pressured by Epstein to recruit six other underage girls to perform sexual acts after meeting him in 2003, according to 2006 police documents. After initially resisting his sexual advances, Epstein told her to find him other girls he could use. Robson told police she was paid $200 for each time she brought a contact to Epstein’s home and told police «I’m like Heidi Fleiss,» referring to the American madam known for operating a prostitution ring in Hollywood.
Robson described her relationship with Epstein as part of a Netflix documentary series on Epstein, acknowledging that it had taken her over two years to escape from under his influence.
«I would recruit girls who were friends. I would casually bring it up, and we would drive together to his house. I would take them to his room and then I’d walk out. Sometimes I would wait by the pool. When the girls would leave, Jeffrey would come out and pay me. I probably recruited 24 girls. Those girls brought other girls too. They were all underage,» Robson told interviewers.
Jeffrey Epstein, left, pictured alongside President Donald Trump at 2025’s State of the Union. (Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images; Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Robson recalled being «destroyed» by guilt for years afterward.
When asked about why he had selected Robson as his guest on Tuesday, Khanna’s office referred Fox News Digital to an online statement.
«Haley Robson was 16 years old when she survived Epstein’s abuse. This campaign to malign her and the other survivors on the night of the State of the Union is shameful. Attack me all you want. Do not attack the survivors,» Khanna said. «I am honored to bring [her] as my guest to Trump’s State of the Union. Their courage moved a nation.»
Robson herself could not be reached for comment.
Top Democrats in Congress are attempting to needle President Donald Trump by bringing Epstein victims as guests to the State of the Union on Tuesday evening, putting pressure on an area of public dissatisfaction and continuing the ways lawmakers have advanced political storylines through the address in years past.
Findings from January indicate that fifty percent of the public are dissatisfied with the way the government has handled the Epstein case, according to polling by SSRS, a political polling group.
Another poll put out by IPSOS, a public opinion research firm, found that 75% of the public believes the government is still hiding secrets from the public about Epstein’s dealings.
FORMER LINGERIE MOGUL FACES LAWMAKER QUESTIONING AFTER FBI INTERNAL MEMO CALLS HIM EPSTEIN CO-CONSPIRATOR
The Department of Justice released a trove of Epstein documents on Dec. 19 following President Trump’s signature on the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Although the Department of Justice has released millions of files on Epstein, Khanna, who helped push Congress to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, is one of many Democrats who believe there’s more. He believes the DOJ still has unreleased information that could help lawmakers and investigators identify possible Epstein co-conspirators that made his crimes possible.
Epstein, a former financial advisor, died while incarcerated in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking minors, leaving behind questions about who may have participated in his crimes or known about them.
Other high-ranking Democrats who have also demanded accountability will follow Khanna’s strategy, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
«I’m proud to bring Dani Bensky, New Yorker and survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, as my guest to the State of the Union to demand the truth. Dani has turned unimaginable pain into unrelenting advocacy. Survivors deserve justice. Trump must end the cover-up and release the full Epstein files — NOW,» Schumer wrote in a post to X.
Similarly, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, will send an Epstein survivor to the State of the Union in his stead.
«Annie Farmer is a courageous survivor of Epstein’s abuse. I’ve invited Annie to the State of the Union so she can join other survivors and remind the President of his refusal to release all the Epstein files,» Garcia wrote.
Garcia himself will not attend the State of the Union. Instead, he will join a Democrat-led counter event at the Lincoln Memorial.
Using the State of the Union to advance a political storyline isn’t unique to Epstein.
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In 2018, at the height of the MeToo sexual abuse movement, several Democratic lawmakers brought victims of sexual exploitation to put pressure on Trump for past comments he made about his behavior around women and highlight ongoing allegations of misconduct on Capitol Hill.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump stands at the podium during his State of the Union address on January 30, 2018. (Win McNamee/REUTERS)
In the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, Democrats invited officers who had defended the building against protesters, while Republicans invited the innocent family members of those caught in the costly legal crossfire of the fallout.
Although those appearances generated headlines and underscored key political themes, Khanna hopes to continue the public pressure on Epstein will do something more.
He wants prosecutions.
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«Former Prince Andrew PrinceAndrew is being investigated and prosecuted in Britain. In Norway, they are prosecuting a former prime minister. In France, they’re investigating government officials and business leaders,» Khanna said.
«It’s time for the Department of Justice to begin investigations and prosecutions,» he added.
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Russian ‘dark fleet’ tanker believed to be delivering oil to Cuba, detected off US coast amid Trump ban
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A tanker allegedly carrying Russian fuel en route to Cuba is using deceptive «dark fleet» tactics, including signal manipulation and offshore ship-to-ship transfers, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.
According to MarineTraffic, the vessel, called Sea Horse, was located Tuesday on the U.S. East Coast with its signal, noted as «roaming.»
The move comes as the U.S. pressured Cuba’s fuel supplies, disrupting deliveries and targeting third-party countries that provide oil, following new sanctions and the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump also signed an executive order declaring a national emergency with respect to Cuba and authorizing tariffs on imports from countries that sell or supply oil there.
Windward reported that the Russian oil tanker initially broadcast Havana as its destination on Feb. 7, and was «Hong Kong-flagged» before quietly changing tack. Windward said the tanker had an expected arrival in Cuba in early March.
The Gabon-flagged crude oil tanker NS Concord at the Port of Matanzas in Matanzas, Cuba, on Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Yander Zamora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The vessel altered its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal to show it would arrive in the «Caribbean Sea» within two weeks — a vague designation the firm said is often used to hide a ship’s final port of call.
The destination was later switched again to Gibraltar for orders, even after the tanker had already transited the strait, a move Windward described as inconsistent with standard commercial routing.
Windward’s analysis also suggests the vessel loaded its cargo through a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer conducted offshore near Cyprus.
RUSSIAN OIL TANKER ‘THE GRINCH’ INTERCEPTED AS US, ALLIES ESCALATE SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN
A tanker sailing under the flag of Cuba, arrives at the port of Havana on Feb. 9. (Yamil Lage / AFP via Getty Images)
During the loading process, the tanker’s AIS signal was temporarily switched off — «a tactic of deceptive maritime operations designed to avoid regulatory scrutiny,» Windward said.
Windward data also shows the vessel’s draft increased on Feb. 8, several days after leaving an area used for floating storage and transshipment of Russian middle distillate cargoes originating from Black Sea ports.
The tanker had loitered in that zone for roughly two weeks before departing, Windward said.
«Ship-to-ship transfers outside territorial waters, where port-state oversight is limited, have become a common practice in oil trade to circumvent sanctions and regulatory scrutiny,» Windward noted.
‘IRREGULAR’ ARMED GUARDS ABOARD RUSSIAN SHADOW TANKERS ALARM NORDIC-BALTIC GOVERNMENTS
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in 2024. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The company added that AIS manipulation, offshore transfers and ambiguous destination reporting are now standard features of shadow-fleet activity sustaining Russian oil exports despite any U.S. sanctions.
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Cuba is also facing an energy crisis that has worsened in recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its primary supplier, were halted following U.S. action in early January.
Mexico, another major supplier, also suspended oil shipments, according to The Associated Press.
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Mexico says Jalisco security situation ‘stabilized,’ flights resuming after Americans stranded
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The Mexican government said the security situation in the western state of Jalisco has «stabilized» after an explosion of cartel-linked violence following the death of kingpin Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.»
The Embassy of Mexico in the United States said federal and state authorities were working to normalize conditions after the unrest, reopening transit corridors and restoring public services following targeted operations.
The update comes as the State Department’s travel advisory for Mexico remains in effect at a heightened level of caution, while flight cancellations and transportation disruptions stranded some travelers in popular destinations such as Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Hundreds of Americans remain stranded in Mexico following the violence.
«The security situation has now stabilized following targeted operations in Jalisco,» the embassy said in a post on X. «Federal and state authorities are proceeding to reopen transit corridors and restore public services smoothly.»
Tourists walk past a burned shop in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Mexico, Tuesday, after cartel-linked violence erupted following the death of Jalisco New Generation cartel leader Nemesio «El Mencho» Oseguera Cervantes. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images)
The embassy said airline operations were returning to normal and that international carriers were resuming flights. Puerto Vallarta International Airport has reopened to domestic traffic, according to the statement.
«If traveling through Jalisco, some local security measures remain in place, while authorities are restoring airport operations to full capacity,» the embassy added.
Officials said they were coordinating with international partners «to ensure safety and stability at all transit hubs and tourist destinations.»
DEATH TOLL RISES AFTER MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL LEADER KILLED IN US-BACKED OPERATION
A bus burns on a main avenue in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, Sunday, after it was set on fire by organized crime groups in response to a federal operation targeting a high-priority security suspect. (Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images)
The statement described the operation as part of «a broader national effort that has produced a sustained decrease in violence across Mexico in recent months.»
According to the State Department’s official website, Mexico is currently under a Level 2 «Exercise Increased Caution» travel advisory due to risks including crime and kidnapping. The advisory notes that violent crime and organized criminal activity remain concerns for U.S. citizens traveling in the country.
Watch: Leavitt warns Mexican drug cartels, tells them not to lay a finger on Americans
Certain Mexican states carry higher risk levels, with some areas classified as Level 3 «Reconsider Travel» or Level 4 «Do Not Travel,» depending on local conditions. Jalisco — where the recent violence occurred — has previously been listed among states with elevated advisory levels, though the State Department notes that risk can vary by region.
The advisory urges U.S. citizens to take precautions similar to those required of U.S. government employees, including avoiding intercity travel at night, using regulated transportation services and remaining aware that emergency services may be limited in some areas.
The State Department said it had received hundreds of calls on its 24/7 crisis hotline as Americans sought assistance following the violence.
A man stands guard near a burning bus on one of the main avenues after it was set on fire, Sunday, by a cartel group in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico. (Ulises Ruiz / AFP via Getty Images)
Mexican authorities said Oseguera Cervantes was killed Sunday during an operation aided by U.S. intelligence.
The cartel responded by setting vehicles on fire and erecting roadblocks throughout Guadalajara, the state capital. The city’s international airport operated at limited capacity as violence gripped the area.
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The U.S. State Department had previously offered up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction, describing him as «one of the most wanted fugitives in Mexico.»
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