Jasmine Crockett falsely accuses Republicans of accepting Epstein money
By Easton Martin | November 20, 2025
In a recent House floor exchange, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas accused several Republicans, including Lee Zeldin, of accepting campaign donations from the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The claim quickly drew attention because of the high-profile nature of the accusation.
A review of Federal Election Commission records revealed that the donations in question came from individuals with the same name, but not the notorious Epstein. Some donations occurred after Epstein’s death in 2019, showing that the funds could not have come from the convicted sex trafficker.
Crockett’s remarks came while defending Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands. She stated that some Republicans had taken money from Jeffrey Epstein, including Zeldin.
Zeldin, who is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and a former Congressman from New York, responded publicly. He said that a physician named Dr. Jeffrey Epstein of Manhasset, New York, had donated to his campaign, but this donor was a completely different person than the convicted Epstein. He added that the donations had no connection to the criminal Epstein.
FEC filings confirm that Dr. Jeffrey Epstein made contributions to Zeldin in 2020, after the death of the convicted Epstein. Another donor with the same name, a New Jersey beverage company owner, also gave during that time.
Crockett later claimed on CNN that she had not intended to accuse the notorious Epstein and that her team had only a short time to prepare for her House remarks. She acknowledged that she had not thoroughly verified the identity of the donors.
