Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) faced scrutiny for her claim that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin received funds from “Jeffrey Epstein,” a New York doctor, instead of the convicted billionaire sex offender who took his own life.
As reported by Breitbart News on Tuesday, Crockett stated that Zeldin accepted contributions from Jeffrey Epstein during discussions about censoring Virgin Islands Representative Stacey Plaskett (D) due to her past interactions with Epstein.
A recent report from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) indeed confirmed that Zeldin received campaign contributions from someone named Jeffrey Epstein, but it’s not the same person Crockett was suggesting.
On Wednesday, Crockett appeared on CNN where she clarified that she never meant to directly connect Zeldin with the notorious Epstein, even as she rehashed her controversial claims.
“I never said it was Jeffrey Epstein. I want people to understand that when you receive a donation, there’s no picture involved,” she explained.
“They decided to introduce this in real time, so I wanted Republicans to consider the implications, especially since they didn’t approach it through the FEC. My team… I just did a Google search. That’s why I mentioned Jeffrey Epstein specifically, because unlike the Republicans, I don’t go around telling lies. It’s not the same thing, and that’s okay,” she added.
Zeldin quickly responded to Crockett following her interview, emphasizing that he had indeed received donations from Epstein in New York after the sex offender’s death while awaiting trial.
“When you’re in a hole, the best course of action is to stop digging. The public FEC report that Mr. Crockett referred to on the House floor clearly states that Jeffrey Epstein, who contributed to my past campaigns, was a doctor and made his donation long after the election,” he remarked.
