Epstein Survivors Kicked Out of Republican Convention After Journalist Questions GOP House Candidate About Files
Tara Palmieri asked hard questions about the Epstein Files before getting the boot from the RNC midterm convention.
Sept. 14 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking survivors are refusing to be silenced, and their latest attempt to make their voices heard caused a stir at the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention, ending with four women being booted from the event, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Independent journalist Tara Palmeri managed to score a press pass and brought along a trio of survivors, but they were ushered out of Dallas'American Airlines Center after ambushing one GOP candidate about the Epstein files.
Independent Journalist Details Getting Kicked Out of RNC Midterm Convention
Journalist Tara Palmieri discussed her experience at the RNC midterm convention on both Substack and YouTube.
Palmieri documented what went down on her Substack, noting, "One of the survivors, Marijke Chartouni, told me she wanted to attend the convention, and that others did as well. Guest passes were still available, and they obtained passes and entered the event."
The women were in Dallas for the latest stop of the Epstein Files Reading Room, a mobile pop-up exhibit showcasing millions of pages of unsealed Department of Justice documents tied to the late predator and his trafficking scandal.
Palmieri described interviewing Robert Burke, a Republican running for Congress in Massachusetts’ 8th Congressional District seeking to replace a 12-term Democrat, when she gave a minute-by-minute account of how their questions got the group booted from the convention.
Three Epstein Survivors Accompanied Tara Palmieri to RNC Midterm Convention
Palmieri confronted a Republican congressional candidate about the Epstein files release.
After entering the American Airlines Center at 2:05 p.m. local time on September 10, she approached Burke and another person he was seated with three minutes later and began a conversation about his district.
At 2:10 p.m., Palmieri told him, "I'm going to start with kind of a tough question,' I said. 'I'm with some survivors of Jeffrey Epstein."
Burke allegedly told her, "That's a great topic," and the journalist asked why.
"We need to know what actually happened from the beginning," Palmieri claimed he responded, to which she agreed.
Tara Palmieri Has Lengthy Conversation With GOP Hopeful About Epstein Files
Palmieri spoke at length to Republican congressional hopeful Robert Burke before being kicked out of the RNC midterm convention.
Palmeri said she pressed Burke on why so few of the Epstein files had been released, why there had been no additional prosecutions beyond Epstein and his now-imprisoned madame Ghislaine Maxwell, and why President Trump had initially opposed making the files public.
She also said she asked Burke whether he would push to release the files if elected, and he said he would.
The journalist claimed one survivor told the politician, "I'm curious, I appreciate your support and your willingness to see how important this is because this is a human rights issue; this isn't a political issue. It's about sexual exploitation of girls and young women."
Palmieri said Burke "continued answering our questions as the interview turned to the Republican Party's handling of the Epstein files and Trump's relationship with the late financier.
She added, "At one point, Burke suggested that Trump had already gone to court over matters involving Epstein. We told him that was not the case."
Things ended when "We shook hands at the end," but nine minutes after the interview began, "at least three security personnel approached us" and asked if the women were carrying signs.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Tara Palmieri Calls Out 'Really Aggressive' Convention Security
Palmieri and the Epstein survivors were escorted by security out of the RNC midterm convention.
Palmieri alleged that she told security, “We're allowed to talk to people. That's why we're here. We're media." when asked by security why they were at the event.
"I repeatedly asked why we were being removed. I was told that my media credential was revocable," she continued, sharing a video of herself and the group getting ejected.
By 2:40 p.m., Palmieri and her group were escorted outside the security barricade, where she said, "I was told that I was barred from the facility and that I could be arrested for trespassing if I returned," after her media credential was revoked.
In her video, she credited Burke, who was "totally fine with asking the questions," but criticized the "really aggressive security."
Palmieri then noted, "I've been a reporter for 18 years. I've never experienced anything like this before. It's interesting. We obviously hit the third rail. Epstein at an event for President Trump, and this is how we were treated," referring to how the Commander-in-Chief was set to take the stage hours later to close out night one.
