Who She Is
Maria Farmer is an artist from the Midwest who moved to New York City in the mid-1990s to pursue a career in figurative painting. Through connections in the art world she was introduced to Epstein and Maxwell, who positioned themselves as major patrons of the arts. She was initially hired to acquire art for Epstein, then worked the front desk at his Upper East Side Manhattan townhouse. Her younger sister Annie Farmer was separately targeted by Epstein and Maxwell.
What She Says Happened
Farmer has given extensive interviews and spoken publicly for years about being sexually assaulted by both Epstein and Maxwell in 1996. She alleges that Epstein directed her to move to Les Wexner’s estate in New Albany, Ohio, to work as an ‘artist in residence,’ and that during the summer of 1996, both Epstein and Maxwell violently sexually assaulted her there. She has described calling Wexner’s security, who she says refused to let her leave. She reported the assault to the FBI in 1996 — one of the very first women to formally report Epstein to federal law enforcement — but her complaint was not acted upon. She re-reported in 2006, again without result. She told The Guardian (2025) that she also identified Trump to law enforcement as someone who should be investigated based on an unsettling encounter she witnessed between Epstein and Trump at his properties.
What She Did About It
Farmer reported to the FBI in 1996 and again in 2006. She filed a civil lawsuit in 2019 against Epstein and Maxwell for the 1996 Ohio assault, which was voluntarily dismissed in 2021 after she accepted compensation from the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program. She is currently suing the FBI for alleged mishandling of her initial 1996 report. She appeared at Capitol Hill advocacy events in 2025 and gave interviews to the New York Times about urging law enforcement to investigate Epstein’s circle decades ago. CNN described the December 2025 partial DOJ release of Epstein files as vindicating her long-standing claims.
Timeline
- 1995-1996: Worked for Epstein in New York City; targeted by Maxwell
- Summer 1996: Allegedly sexually assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell at Wexner estate in Ohio
- 1996: Reported assault to the FBI — case not pursued
- 2006: Re-reported to FBI — case again not pursued
- 2019: Filed civil lawsuit against Epstein and Maxwell
- 2021: Lawsuit dismissed after accepting compensation from Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program
- 2025: Suing FBI for mishandling of her 1996 report; testified at Capitol Hill events
- December 2025: DOJ partial file release described as vindicating her early complaints
Sources
- Maria Farmer — Wikipedia overview including her 1996 FBI complaint and public testimony
- The Guardian: “Jeffrey Epstein: newest accuser comes forward, says she was ‘perfect victim’” (November 2019)
- Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich — Netflix documentary (2020) featuring Maria Farmer’s testimony
- CNN: Epstein files vindicate survivor Maria Farmer who reported him in the 1990s (December 2025)
- DOJ SDNY: United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell — Federal prosecution including Maria Farmer’s role as early FBI complainant
Information compiled from public court records, news reporting, and published accounts. This page documents survivor testimony as a matter of public record.