Feb 4, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Epstein survivor Courtney Wild to be a guest at State of the Union

Courtney Wild, who claims she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein when she was a minor, speaks at a news conference

Courtney Wild speaks at a July 2019 news conference in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Courtney Wild, who's spoken publicly of being molested by Jeffrey Epstein at age 14, will attend the State of the Union Tuesday as the guest of Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) a sponsor of a bill named for the survivor.

Why it matters: The Courtney Wild Crime Victims' Rights Reform Act of 2019 seeks to strengthen victims' rights and prevent prosecutors from reaching sweetheart plea deals like the 2008 one that saw Epstein avoid federal sex trafficking charges. Speier said Wild's presence will "send a clear message that women are done with being treated as second class citizens in our own country."

Go deeper: What we know: The life and death of Jeffrey Epstein

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