Lawmaker's Remarks on Epstein Donations Prompt Rebuttals

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U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett stated on Tuesday that several Republican figures and committees had accepted campaign funds from "somebody named Jeffrey Epstein." In public remarks, she listed recipients including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Mitt Romney, George Bush, Rick Lazio, the NRCC, McCain-Palin, and WinRed. Crockett said her team had conducted a "quick investigation" and that the information was available in public Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.

The remarks drew public responses from some of those named. Zeldin, a Republican, stated on the social media platform X that a donation to one of his past campaigns came from a physician named Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, whom he described as a "totally different person" from the late convicted sex offender. Zeldin added that the public FEC report identified the donor as a physician and that the donation was made after the financier’s death. Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain, also posted on X, stating her father never met the financier and that the donor Crockett referenced was a different individual.

In a subsequent interview, Crockett defended her comments, stating she "never said that it was that Jeffrey Epstein" and had been careful to specify "a Jeffrey Epstein." She claimed she was not attempting to mislead anyone. Following her interview, Zeldin publicly advised her to "stop digging," according to one summary.

A review of FEC filings cited in one summary indicated that donations to the Republican politicians and groups came from multiple individuals named Jeffrey Epstein, including a New York physician and a Pennsylvania stockbroker. The summary noted that a $1,000 donation to Zeldin’s 2020 campaign from the physician occurred after the convicted financier's 2019 death. The same summary also stated that individuals named Jeffrey Epstein have made contributions to Democratic campaigns, including those of Kamala Harris and Senator Sherrod Brown.