The Democratic National Committee is facing renewed criticism over its decision to hold onto thousands of dollars in campaign donations from the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, as case files connected to Epstein’s trafficking charges continue to draw national attention, as reported by Fox News.
Campaign finance records show that Epstein donated $32,000 to the DNC during the mid-1990s. Unlike other Democratic lawmakers and committees who later disavowed or returned contributions linked to Epstein, the DNC has never refunded the money.
The issue has resurfaced as the DNC continues to publicly criticize the Trump administration over Epstein, including operating a social media account dedicated to highlighting the case files and sending a mobile billboard to the White House.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin accused President Donald Trump of attempting to conceal details about Epstein, calling him a “notorious sexual predator.”
When asked by Fox News Digital why the DNC never returned Epstein’s money, a spokesperson dismissed the matter, saying, “Instead of trying to blow the cobwebs off of decades-old contributions and defunct campaign accounts, Donald Trump should release the Epstein files.”
The question of political donations has been a recurring issue for both parties.
The Republican National Committee, for example, faced pressure to return $1.4 million in donations linked to former finance chairman and casino mogul Steve Wynn, who stepped down after multiple allegations of misconduct.
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Records also show the DNC accepted more than $90,000 from a hedge fund operated by billionaire Glenn Dubin, who was closely associated with Epstein.
Epstein invested millions with Dubin’s firm. Though Dubin was never criminally charged, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre testified in 2015 that Ghislaine Maxwell forced her into sexual contact with him. Dubin has denied the allegations.
Epstein also donated to individual Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I. Both lawmakers took steps in 2019 to offset or redirect those contributions to women’s advocacy and anti-trafficking organizations after facing public criticism.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which received a $10,000 donation from Epstein in 2018, said the contribution was unsolicited and refunded it immediately.
Republicans were not entirely absent from Epstein’s donor list. Former President George H.W. Bush received smaller-scale contributions, though Democrats were by far the larger recipients of his financial support.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution and later faced federal charges in 2019 for trafficking underage girls. He died in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 in what authorities ruled a suicide while awaiting trial.
Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler, responding in 2019 after Epstein’s arrest, defended the committee’s decision not to address decades-old donations. “Go back and give money that he gave 20 years ago? Are you nuts?” Fowler said at the time.
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