Jasmine Crockett Draws Bipartisan Criticism After Misidentifying Epstein Donor in House Remarks

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) faced swift bipartisan criticism after she inaccurately asserted on the House floor that several prominent Republicans had accepted campaign donations from the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Her office cited Federal Election Commission records, but at least one of the alleged donations was traced to a different Jeffrey Epstein — a physician — not the financier.

The dispute arose after a new tranche of Epstein-related documents prompted renewed scrutiny of past contacts between politicians and Epstein. Delegate Stacey Plaskett, the non-voting representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands, was reported to have exchanged texts with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing, and that disclosure led to a resolution to censure Plaskett. Crockett attempted to broaden the conversation by suggesting FEC records showed Republicans had also taken Epstein-related money.

Speaking from the floor, Crockett said her team had 'dug in' to FEC filings and named figures including Lee Zeldin, Mitt Romney and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The claim about Zeldin was inaccurate: the contributions in question came from a different individual with the same name. The error prompted immediate pushback from both parties.

Reactions and fallout

Democratic and Republican strategists were blunt. One Democratic strategist said Crockett's mistake was a significant political misstep as she weighs a potential 2026 Senate challenge to Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. Republican operatives called for accountability: GOP strategist Matt Whitlock argued staff should be held responsible, while reporters and former lawmakers criticized the failure to verify the records before speaking on the House floor.

Former New York Rep. Nan Hayworth accused Crockett of misrepresenting opponents; conservative reporter Chuck Ross noted the incident highlights why campaigns often hire professional opposition researchers. Lee Zeldin himself responded forcefully on social media, pointing out the donor was a physician with the same name and posting: 'NO 👏 FREAKIN 👏 RELATION 👏 YOU 👏 GENIUS!!!'

Crockett also referenced other Republican figures and committees during her remarks and questioned why the debate was focused on Plaskett rather than former President Donald Trump's relationship with Epstein, calling Trump and Epstein 'besties' during her remarks.

Context and prior corrections

This episode follows a recent on-air fact-check of Crockett's comments about document redactions in Epstein-related files. During a CNN interview, hosts corrected her when she suggested Republicans had redacted the name of one of Epstein's accusers; at least one report indicated Democrats had approved that redaction. That correction, combined with the FEC error, has feeding into criticism that Crockett did not sufficiently verify her claims.

Crockett is reportedly considering a 2026 Senate bid against Sen. John Cornyn and must decide by the Dec. 8 filing deadline whether to enter the race. Requests for comment to Crockett were not answered at the time of reporting.