Epstein Scandal Fuels Attack Ads in US Midterm Elections

Campaign advertising surrounding Jeffrey Epstein has become a prominent feature of the 2026 US midterm elections, with Democratic and Republican candidates using the convicted sex offender's connections and government investigative records to challenge their opponents across several states. The controversy has generated millions of dollars in political advertising and renewed scrutiny of lawmakers' positions on releasing the Epstein files.

Analysis by CNN found that candidates and outside political groups had spent more than $35 million on advertisements connected to Epstein. The Washington Post separately reported that Democrats alone had spent more than $40 million on such advertising across six competitive Senate races.

According to NBC News, data from advertising tracker AdImpact showed that more than 500 campaign advertisements nationwide included the words "pedophile" or "predator." Approximately three-quarters of those advertisements were supported by Democrats.

Many Democratic advertisements accuse Republican lawmakers of "protecting" Epstein by opposing an earlier procedural effort to release investigative records. In Colorado, advertisements targeting Republican Jeff Crank feature relatives of Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein survivor who died by suicide last year.

One advertisement accused Crank of having "covered up Epstein's crimes to protect Donald Trump" through his opposition to releasing the documents.

Other campaigns have adopted similar approaches. Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson in Iowa faced accusations that she voted to "protect her donors" by refusing to support the release of the records.

Responding to the criticism in a campaign advertisement, Hinson described the personal consequences of the allegations directed at her.

"This week I had to explain to my boys, 'No, Mom does not protect pedophiles,'" Hinson said.

Crank's campaign disputed the accusations in a statement to The Washington Post, describing the advertisement as "intentionally vague." His representatives said he wanted assurances that victims' personal information would be properly redacted before supporting disclosure.

The campaign also described the advertisement as "unfortunate" and accused Democratic opponent Jessica Killin of "preying on a grieving family with the help of the Washington Democrats."

The New York Times reported that Crank's staff had invited Giuffre's relatives to meet with them, although the congressman did not attend personally. His campaign also said it had offered to meet Epstein survivors before the legislative vote.

In Georgia, Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins faced criticism over his opposition to releasing the files. An advertisement targeting him stated that he had voted against disclosure despite knowing Epstein's trafficking operation involved 14-year-old girls.

Florida Republican Jimmy Patronis also faced criticism from Democratic opponent Gay Valimont. An advertisement accused Patronis of describing an investigation into Epstein as "a waste of his time."

Patronis had actually told a local radio station that he had "no problem getting everything all released," while describing the investigation as a "massive energy and time suck at the end of the day."

His campaign spokesperson Melissa Stone defended his record, highlighting his cooperation with Donald Trump to secure disaster funding following Hurricane Isaias. Stone criticized Valimont for "still talking about a dead pedophile in a sad web video than helping the people of [the first congressional district] recover."

Republicans have also attempted to turn the controversy against Democratic candidates by highlighting financial relationships involving donors with connections to Epstein.

During a Georgia Senate debate, Collins accused Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff of accepting campaign contributions from technology billionaire Reid Hoffman, whom Collins described as Epstein's "business partner." Hoffman has said his relationship with Epstein was limited to fundraising connections and that he regrets the association.

"You can claim to fight against the Epstein class, but I'm going to tell you, this call is coming from inside the house and the Epstein class is on stage right now and it's you," Collins said.

In New Mexico, an outside political group targeted Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland with allegations involving travel and financial connections. Its advertisement accused her of receiving "tens of thousands of dollars from Epstein businesses" and subsequently "asking for more."

Haaland did not travel aboard Epstein's private aircraft. However, she took a flight in 2014 that had been booked by one of his companies. She has said she did not know that the charter operator was owned by Epstein.

The controversy also extends beyond individual congressional campaigns. Last year, Democrats and a small number of House Republicans pursued a discharge petition, a congressional procedure designed to bypass ordinary legislative steps and force a vote on releasing the investigative records.

Donald Trump, who knew Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s, initially opposed the procedural initiative despite having campaigned on greater government transparency. Most House Republicans subsequently aligned themselves with his position.

Under pressure from political allies, Trump eventually supported legislation requiring the release of the records. That change allowed Republican lawmakers to back the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which received support from all but one House Republican.

Republicans have consequently challenged advertisements that focus on their earlier opposition without explaining their eventual support for the final legislation. Hinson, who voted for the final measure but did not sign the original discharge petition, defended her voting record directly.

"Of course I voted to release the Epstein files," Hinson said in an advertisement accusing Democratic opponent Josh Turek of misrepresenting her position.

The political fallout has also attracted younger voters who previously supported Trump. Political analyst Rachel Janfaza told Vox that some of them "resent the fact that Trump's basically become part of the establishment," while viewing the handling of the Epstein records as evidence of a broken campaign promise.

Separately, House Democrats released a 50-page report alleging that the Justice Department had helped conceal information about Epstein's relationship with Trump. The document drew on publicly available accounts and interviews with an unspecified number of survivors, including a former pageant queen who alleged that Trump raped her in 1993. Trump previously faced a separate allegation from the woman involving unwanted touching, which a spokesperson dismissed as "fake."

A White House spokesperson rejected the congressional report as "a desperate attempt by crazed Democrats to distract Americans." Democrats called for an independent criminal investigation, although the report's publication did not establish that such an investigation would be opened.

Vox reported that the Epstein controversy could become a subject of further congressional investigations if Democrats regain control of either chamber, giving them additional authority to subpoena witnesses and obtain documents.