The Hot Mic Moment
In October 2019 — just two months after Epstein’s death — Project Veritas released a video recording of Amy Robach, a co-anchor at ABC’s Good Morning America, speaking in what she believed was an unrecorded moment.
In the recording, Robach stated:
“I’ve had this story for three years… [Epstein’s victim] came to us. She had everything… We had everything… I tried for three years to get it on to no avail… I had Prince Andrew… we had everything already… And then [ABC] quashed the story.”
Robach named the story as involving:
- Virginia Giuffre (Roberts) testimony
- Flight logs
- Prince Andrew
- Significant other Epstein-related evidence
Timeline of the Suppressed Story
Based on Robach’s account and subsequent reporting, the timeline was:
- ~2015: Robach’s team at ABC developed a comprehensive Epstein story
- Giuffre was apparently interviewed or provided testimony to ABC
- The story was ready for broadcast
- ABC network declined to run it after what Robach described as pressure
- 2015–2018: The story remained unpublished
- November 2018: The Miami Herald’s Julie Brown published the “Perversion of Justice” series, essentially publishing what ABC had killed three years earlier
- July 2019: Epstein arrested
- August 2019: Epstein died
- October 2019: The Robach hot mic recording leaked
Why Was It Killed?
ABC and senior executives denied the characterization that the story was “killed” for improper reasons. Potential explanations for non-publication offered by various parties:
- Legal concerns: Epstein’s attorneys were aggressive; ABC’s legal department may have demanded more corroboration
- Prince Andrew factor: Royal coverage carried particular editorial and legal sensitivities
- Evidentiary standard: ABC may have required more before broadcasting
- Pressure/interference: Robach’s own hot mic statement implies some external pressure
The Consequences
The hot mic revelation:
- Sparked significant criticism of ABC News
- Led to internal investigations at ABC
- Raised broader questions about network self-censorship in covering powerful figures
- Connected to the broader narrative of media suppression in the Epstein case
- Prompted discussion of the 2016 NBC suppression of the Harvey Weinstein story (Ronan Farrow’s account)
Robach’s Subsequent Position
Robach did not dispute the accuracy of the hot mic recording. She acknowledged the words were hers and explained them as expressing frustration about the story not being ready to broadcast, though her hot mic statements seemed more definitive than that characterization.