House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries rejected questions Wednesday about whether he had solicited campaign donations from Jeffrey Epstein, calling House Oversight Chairman James Comer a “cold liar” after Comer alleged Tuesday that Jeffries had solicited money from the convicted sex offender in 2013.
During debate over the Epstein files bill Tuesday afternoon, Comer took direct aim at Jeffries.
“Democrats have been silent about their colleague’s coordination with Epstein,” said Comer, R-Ky. “Another email shows that Democratic fundraisers invited Epstein to attend an event or meet privately with Hakeem Jeffries in 2013 as part of their effort to build a Democratic majority in the House.”
Jeffries responded.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks to reporters during a press conference at the US Capitol Visitor Center on November 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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“Was this a serious question or a serious statement from evil clown James Comer that I took Jeffrey Epstein to dinner and accepted money from Jeffrey Epstein?” Jeffries said. “What I find extraordinary about the clown show on the other side of the aisle is that they lie with impunity about things that are objectively verifiable.”
According to documents released by Oversight Republicans last week, Epstein received a campaign request on May 7, 2013, from a fundraising company touting Jeffries as “one of the rising stars in New York’s congressional delegation” and a “strong supporter of President Obama.”
“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 next evening,” the email said, sharing instructions with recipients who “would like to participate in the dinner, or would like the opportunity to get to know Hakeem better.”
The email included text from a NY1 profile of Jeffries and is signed by Darren Rigger, Lisa Rossi and Walter Swett of Dynamic SRG, which bills itself as one of the leading public affairs and political fundraising firms for progressive causes and candidates in New York City.
Dynamic SRG did not respond to ABC News’ question about whether Jeffries knew about the email.
Representative James Comer speaks at a press conference at the United States Capitol on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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On Wednesday, Jeffries did not directly answer whether he had ever solicited donations from Epstein, maintaining instead that Republicans “have been burying Epstein’s files” for months.
When asked if he had ever requested money from Epstein in exchange for a meeting, Jeffries called Comer a “cold liar.”
“I have no idea what James Comer is talking about in terms of anything any previous consultant has submitted,” Jeffries said. “I had no idea about that either, but James Comer apparently made the statement on the House floor that I sat with Jeffrey Epstein, had dinner with Jeffrey Epstein, and had contributions from Jeffrey Epstein. “He’s a liar like a rock and James Comer knows it.”
On Tuesday, Jeffries told CNN that he did not remember the email and had never met Epstein.
“I don’t remember the email,” Jeffries said. “I’ve never had a conversation with him, I’ve never met him, I don’t know anything about him other than the extreme things he’s been convicted of.”
A spokeswoman for Comer argued that the email released by the committee speaks for itself.
“Hakeem Jeffries is a cold-hearted liar,” he said. “The email, which came to light as a result of Chairman Comer’s subpoena to Epstein’s estate, is real and speaks for itself. Hakeem’s fundraisers made a request on his behalf to invite Jeffrey Epstein to a dinner or meet with him privately.”
The request came years after Epstein had already registered as a sex offender in 2010, and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor.
ABC News could find no records of Epstein’s donations to Jeffries or groups affiliated with him, and Jeffries has never been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein.
