Sen. Cynthia Lummis said Monday that reviewing unredacted files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein fundamentally changed her view of the case — a notable shift at a moment when few Republicans have publicly broken with President Donald Trump over the handling of the Epstein documents.

“I’ve not been one of the members who has glommed on to this as an issue,” Lummis said in an interview with journalist Pablo Manríquez. “I’ve sort of intentionally deferred to others to find out about it. But 9-year-old victims … wow.”

Lummis said her initial reaction to the controversy surrounding Epstein was dismissive. “Well, initially, my reaction to all this was, ‘I don’t care. I don’t know what the big deal is,’” she said. “But now I see what the big deal is, and it was worth investigating. And the members of Congress that have been pushing this were not wrong.”

Her comments come after the Department of Justice released its final tranche of Epstein-related files late last month. While most of the material made public was heavily redacted, several lawmakers were granted access this week to unredacted versions of the documents.

Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna have led a bipartisan effort to press for greater transparency around Epstein’s network, arguing that the financier’s ties to wealthy and powerful figures have never been fully examined. After reviewing the files, the two lawmakers said they identified at least six individuals they believe were “likely incriminated” by their appearance in the records.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges alleging he ran a sex trafficking operation involving underage girls. His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2021.

Over the weekend, Epstein survivors renewed calls for additional documents to be released, accusing the Trump administration of withholding more than 3 million records. A Super Bowl ad featuring multiple survivors amplified that demand, with a collective message calling for truth and accountability.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has defended the administration’s handling of the files, while conceding that public frustration is unlikely to fade.

“There’s a hunger or a thirst for information that I do not think will be satisfied by the review of these documents,” Blanche said last month. He rejected claims that the Justice Department is shielding perpetrators, saying there is no hidden list of abusers being protected from prosecution.

Trump, who is named in the Epstein files but has not been accused of wrongdoing, said earlier this month that the final release cleared him.

Lummis did not comment on Trump directly, but her remarks stood out in a Republican Party largely resistant to revisiting the Epstein case. By acknowledging that congressional scrutiny was justified, she added fresh momentum to a debate that many in Washington have seemed eager to close — even as survivors and a growing number of lawmakers insist it is far from over.