Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas has refused to retract her assertion that Lee Zeldin, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, received contributions from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This claim, made on the House floor on November 18, 2023, has faced scrutiny after it was revealed that the contributions in question originated from a different individual with the same name.
During an appearance on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) on the weekend, host Jacqueline Alemany provided Crockett with an opportunity to correct her statement. Instead of retracting her accusation, Crockett maintained her position, asserting that she did not have sufficient time to verify which Epstein made the contributions.
Crockett stated, “I had maybe 20 minutes. We researched the FEC, and because I like to speak with specificity—that’s kind of what comes with being an attorney—I made clear that there was a Jeffrey Epstein.” She insisted that her comments were not an accident, suggesting that the confusion arose from the name’s prominence.
The contributions attributed to Epstein were made to Zeldin in 2020, a year after the notorious sex offender’s death. Alemany highlighted the discrepancy, noting that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) data indicates that neither Zeldin nor other Republicans Crockett accused received funds from the deceased Epstein.
The host pressed Crockett, stating, “But you were trying to insinuate that it was the Jeffrey Epstein.” To this, Crockett acknowledged, “Oh, I absolutely was insinuating that it could be possible. That is true.” She later clarified that she had not conducted further research into the matter or spoken to the doctor named Jeffrey Epstein, who was responsible for the contributions.
Despite acknowledging that Zeldin has publicly denied receiving money from the deceased individual, Crockett did not distance herself from her original claim. “I can agree that Lee Zeldin has said that he’s not received money from the Jeffrey Epstein,” she stated, “Absolutely.”
This incident has drawn attention to the importance of accurate information in political discourse, particularly when allegations involve sensitive topics such as sexual misconduct. As the story continues to develop, it highlights the challenges faced by public figures in navigating complex narratives and the potential consequences of misstatements in the political arena.
