The Democratic nominee in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District race wants more accountability and transparency when it comes to the sex crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
On Oct. 15, Shannon Taylor met with Sharlene Rochard, an Epstein survivor, in Henrico County where they toured a traveling exhibit of hundreds of printed volumes containing millions of documents from the Epstein files.
“What I want to see is people in Congress that can actually make some change, help release the files, but also hold people accountable,” Rochard told reporters. “It’s all about justice, transparency, and accountability.”
Taylor supports releasing the full Epstein files and doing more to hold accountable those who were involved in the late sex offender’s crimes—both for any wrongdoing they may have committed and for any help covering up Epstein’s crimes.
”We need to release the Epstein files and protect our survivors’ privacy,” Taylor told reporters on Oct. 15. “We need to investigate the failures that allowed these crimes to continue, and we need to hold everyone accountable who committed these crimes or helped cover them up.”
Taylor is Henrico County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney, which means she’s the top prosecutor on all misdemeanor and felony crimes committed under state law in Henrico. She said she has a record of cracking down on sex trafficking, supporting victims, and holding wrongdoers accountable.
“ I’ve spent my career taking on criminals and changing a system that wasn’t doing enough to protect survivors,” Taylor said. “I will bring that same determination to Congress.”
Taylor also supports a new bill called the Epstein Wall Street Records Act that would force agencies like the US Federal Reserve and the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate financial firms and executives with ties to Epstein.
Taylor attacked her opponent, Republican US Rep. Rob Wittman, for not doing more to bring accountability and transparency to Epstein. Wittman ultimately voted in November 2025 for the release of the Epstein falls but that came after, as Politico put it, “the issue proved increasingly toxic for Republicans.” Wittman did not sign the discharge petition that forced the vote.
”He was fighting against holding men accountable, men who are powerful, who are rich, who have influence,” Taylor said. “He chose them over strong women like Sharlene, who had the bravery to come forward to talk about what has happened to her. That is corruption in its truest form. That is the grave distinction between myself and Rob Wittman.”
Wittman did not respond to a request for comment.
