House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, accused House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign on Tuesday of “soliciting money from Jeffrey Epstein.”
Citing a 2013 email from a political consulting firm inviting the infamous pedophile to a Democratic Party dinner and to “get to know” Jeffries, the Kentucky Republican is spearheading the oversight panel’s inquiry into Epstein.
“Democrat fundraisers invited Epstein to attend an event, or meet privately with Hakeem Jeffries as part of their 2013 effort to win a majority. So, Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign solicited money from Jeffrey Epstein. That’s what we found in the last document batch,” Comer said on the House floor.
On May 7, 2013, Lisa Rossi, a partner at the New York City-based consulting firm Dynamic SRG, sent Epstein an email with the subject line, “Rising Star.”
Lesley Groff, Epstein’s former executive assistant, also forwarded the email to Epstein.
“Dear Jeffrey,” the message stated. “We are thrilled to announce that we are working with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, one of the rising stars in the New York Congressional delegation.
“Sometimes referred to as ‘Brooklyn’s Barack’, he is a staunch supporter of President Obama and a progressive voice for the people of New York City.”
The firm’s pitch to Epstein included a video and article touting the Brooklyn Democrat’s work during his first year in Congress.
“Hakeem is committed to electing a Democratic majority in 2014 and is encouraging his friends to participate in the DCCC/DSCC fundraising dinner with President Obama this coming Monday night,” the email continued. “Shoot us an email or give us a call at [the firm’s phone number] if you would like to get involved with the dinner, or would like to get an opportunity to get to know Hakeem better.”
About five years after Epstein entered a guilty plea to charges of soliciting prostitutes and soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida in 2008, the invitation was sent.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Epstein gave tens of thousands of dollars to a number of Democrats. He passed away in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking allegations.
Epstein did not appear to have donated to Jeffries, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee at the time the email was sent, according to Federal Election Commission records.
As part of their extensive Epstein investigation, Republicans in the House Oversight Committee published over 20,000 documents last week, including the email.
This comes as the U.S. Senate formally enacted legislation compelling the Justice Department to provide additional details regarding the case it developed against the late convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The House decisively cleared the bill on Tuesday, and senators had agreed to automatically pass it as soon as it was received.
President Donald Trump has stated that he will sign it, and it is currently on his desk. This is true even though Speaker Mike Johnson pushed for last-minute revisions to the House-passed plan and hinted that he could urge Trump to veto it.
The Justice Department will have 30 days to make the papers publicly available with redactions to safeguard Epstein’s victims, assuming Trump follows through.
On Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson discussed House Republicans’ efforts to deliver maximum transparency regarding the Epstein files and ensure justice for victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.
“The truth is, the biggest proponents of this discharge petition were never actually interested in transparency or ensuring justice or protecting victims of this unspeakable tragedy, the Epstein evils. And how do we know that? Because the Democrats had every one of the Epstein files in their possession for the four long years of the Biden Administration,” Johnson said.
“The Biden Department of Justice had the files the entire time, and not a single one of the people who were so loud and animated right now ever said anything about it for all those four years,” he said.
“For four long years under the previous administration of the Biden-Harris Administration, Democrats insisted there was no border crisis. Remember, they told you that that wasn’t a problem at all. They dismissed inflation as transitory. That’s what they told us. They told the American people not to believe what we could all see with our own eyes, that there was an obvious mental and physical decline on the part of President Biden individually,” Johnson said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday proposed a one-year extension of federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
, commonly known as Obamacare, in an effort to break the ongoing impasse over government funding. The proposal came as Democrats and Republicans remain locked in a standoff that has kept portions of the federal government closed, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Schumer’s plan would temporarily preserve ACA subsidies set to expire at the end of the fiscal year, ensuring that millions of Americans who rely on federal assistance to afford health insurance would not see their premiums rise. In addition, he called for the creation of a
bipartisan committee tasked with developing a longer-term compromise on healthcare and budget policy. The Democratic leader described his proposal as a “good-faith effort” to reopen the government while maintaining vital health protections.
“Republicans should just say yes,” Schumer said during remarks from the Senate floor. “This is a responsible path forward that keeps the government open, protects families’ healthcare, and allows both sides to continue negotiating in good faith.” His comments were aimed at
Republican leaders, who have been pushing their own plan to fund the government while making broader cuts to domestic spending and entitlement programs.
Democrats have so far resisted the Republican proposal, arguing that it would weaken healthcare coverage, reduce social safety nets, and impose long-term harm on working families. They maintain that the ACA subsidies, first expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, have become a cornerstone of affordable healthcare for millions of Americans. Allowing them to lapse, Schumer and his allies warn, could lead to widespread coverage losses and premium spikes nationwide.
Republican leaders, however, have accused Democrats of using the government shutdown to advance partisan policy goals. They argue that Schumer’s proposal represents a short-term fix rather than a genuine effort to address the underlying fiscal issues driving the budget crisis. Some GOP senators have also expressed frustration over what they describe as the White House’s unwillingness to negotiate on spending reforms and energy policy provisions included in the Republican plan.
Despite the political tension, both parties have signaled interest in continuing talks to reach a funding agreement before federal operations are further disrupted. Essential services have remained operational, but a prolonged shutdown could affect pay for federal workers, slow economic growth, and disrupt a wide range of government programs. The White House has called on Congress to approve a temporary spending measure to avoid deeper fallout.
As negotiations continue, Schumer’s offer appears aimed at shifting the pressure back onto Republican lawmakers by combining a politically popular healthcare measure with a call for bipartisan cooperation. Whether the proposal gains traction remains uncertain, but it adds a new dimension to the high-stakes standoff on Capitol Hill — one that could determine not only how soon the government reopens but also the future of healthcare policy heading into the next election year.