Dr. Jeffrey Epstein told Newsmax on Monday he was stunned to find himself pulled into a political firestorm after Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, falsely linked his name to the late convicted sex offender during a House floor speech.
Crockett claimed that "Jeffrey Epstein" had donated to several Republican campaigns, attempting to tie GOP candidates to the disgraced financier.
But donations she cited made to former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., who is now the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, were made by Dr. Epstein, a Long Island, New York, neurosurgeon with no connection to the deceased sex offender.
The mix-up quickly drew ridicule online, with critics accusing Crockett of misleading the public and botching her attack.
Epstein told "Rob Schmitt Tonight" the moment he saw Crockett's remarks — and then Zeldin tweeting his name in response — he felt blindsided.
"The whole thing was just so crazy, and it's really annoying," he said. "Obviously, it's slanderous. There's nothing I can do about it. She was wrong, she lied, and she made it worse by lying even further and further."
Crockett has tried to downplay the incident, telling CNN she never implicated the doctor. Epstein rejected that claim outright.
"When you have somebody like Crockett get up there and then blatantly lie a day or two later on CNN saying, I never really said that … it's crazy," he said.
Despite being thrust into the controversy, Epstein said it will not change his willingness to support candidates he believes in.
"I still believe in the systems," he said. "I still believe in politics.
"I'm proud of the fact that I donated to Lee [Zeldin]. I think he's a wonderful person as well as being head of the EPA and everything, so, I have no regrets whatsoever."
He added jokingly: "The only regret I might have is that I donated to Jasmine Crockett's campaign, but that was tongue-in-cheek. This is why I can say that she also took money from Jeffrey Epstein."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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