Epstein weaponised in US midterm battles

Democrats in several states have been airing ads linking Republican rivals to the late sex offender.

Several Democratic candidates vying for seats in the US Congress have accused their Republican rivals of protecting the wealthy and politically connected associates of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, referring to them as the “Epstein class.”

The party has sought to use the controversy as part of a broader push to regain control of Congress from the GOP.

While President Donald Trump has long accused the Democrats of having ties to Epstein, his administration has come under mounting criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans over its handling of the Epstein files. Critics have accused the Department of Justice of concealing key details through heavy redactions in materials released last November and January.

In the race for an Ohio Senate seat, Democrat Sherrod Brown has been airing a TV ad for weeks that accuses his Republican rival, Jon Husted, of receiving more money from Epstein associates than any other members of Congress.

“Husted’s taken over $116,000 from one of Epstein’s closest friends and co-conspirators,” the ad says, referring to billionaire Leslie Wexner, a longtime client of the disgraced financier.

“Last year, he took a maximum donation from him just weeks before voting to block the release of the Epstein files,” the ad alleges.

In Maine, presumptive Democratic nominee Graham Platner has aired a similar TV ad accusing Republican Senator Susan Collins of selling out voters to “the president and the Epstein class.”

Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff has also repeatedly portrayed the Trump administration as part of a corrupt elite tied to the convicted sex offender.

“This is the Epstein class ruling our country,” Ossoff said at a rally in February.

Speaking to Axios, Republican National Committee spokesperson Kiersten Pels dismissed the Democrats’ criticism as “cynical political theater” from a “party with no message and no credibility.”

The Epstein files have also exposed growing divisions within the GOP. Outgoing Representative Thomas Massie, who joined Democrat Ro Khanna in advancing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, has suggested his push for disclosure put him at odds with Trump.

Last week, Massie lost a Kentucky primary to Trump-backed Republican Ed Gallrein, whose campaign received support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), and other special interest groups.