New Claims About Hakeem Jeffries and Epstein
James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, accused Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of “soliciting money from Jeffrey Epstein” on Tuesday.
As part of the committee’s inquiry into Epstein, Comer referenced a 2013 email from a political consulting firm that invited the convicted sex offender to a Democratic Party dinner and suggested he meet Jeffries.
Comer stated on the House floor, “Democratic fundraisers invited Mr. Epstein to attend events and meet privately with Hakeem Jeffries as part of their 2013 effort to secure a majority.” He asserted, “So Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign solicited money from Jeffrey Epstein. That’s what was found in the last batch of documents.”
It’s worth noting that it appears Jeffries didn’t receive any donations from Epstein around the time the emails were exchanged.
The subject of a May 7, 2013 email sent to Epstein by Lisa Rossi from the consulting firm Dynamic SRG was “Rising Star.” This information was also shared with Epstein by his former executive assistant, Leslie Groff.
The email began with, “Dear Jeffrey,” and went on to introduce Congressman Hakeem Jeffries as “one of the rising stars of the New York Congressional Caucus.” Jeffries was described as a “passionate supporter of President Obama and a progressive voice for the people of New York City.”
The firm’s outreach included a video and article highlighting Jeffries’ initial year in office. The email also indicated, “Mr. Hakeem is committed to electing a Democratic majority in 2014 and is encouraging his friends to attend the upcoming fundraising dinner with President Obama.” It further offered them a chance to dine with Jeffries.
Interestingly, the email was sent nearly five years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to charges related to solicitation of prostitution, including minors.
Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for federal child sex trafficking charges, had been a notable donor to Democratic politicians in previous decades.
Records from the Federal Election Commission don’t show any contributions from Epstein to Jeffries or any related Democratic committees around the time of the emails.
Whether Epstein accepted the invitation remains uncertain.
The emails were part of a larger document release by Republican members of the Oversight Committee last week, relating to their expansive investigation into Epstein.
As of now, representatives from Dynamic SRG, Rossi, and Jeffries have not commented on the allegations.
