The Independent (US) February 16, 2026

Epstein Invited to Congressional Galas Years After Arrest, Docs Show

Documents released in the Epstein files investigation.

At least 14 current or former members of Congress received invitations to exclusive events with Jeffrey Epstein in the years after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for sex, according to Department of Justice documents reviewed by The Independent.¹ The invitations, which spanned 2011 to 2017, included a congressman’s birthday gala, a senator’s fundraiser at a billionaire’s residence, and a breakfast briefing on homeland security, the outlet reported.¹

Over half the lawmakers connected to the invitations represent New York, New Mexico, and Florida — states where Epstein owned properties.¹

Specific Invitations Identified

In February 2013, a staffer at a political fundraising firm sent a message to Epstein on behalf of then-New York Rep. Joe Crowley, inviting the convicted sex offender to a birthday gala at the Dream Downtown Hotel in Manhattan.¹ Documents suggest Epstein received a second invitation to Crowley’s gala the following year.¹

In April 2011, a former DEA agent who ran a private security firm invited Epstein to a briefing with then-New York Rep. Peter King at the Metropolitan Club, a private social club on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.¹

In November 2012, Mortimer Zuckerman, the billionaire then-owner of the New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report, emailed Epstein asking him to attend a fundraiser at his home for then-Sen. Max Baucus, noting that Sen. Chuck Schumer was likely to attend.¹

Between 2011 and 2017, Epstein also received invitations to events connected to Sen. Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Sen. Martin Heinrich, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Diana DeGette, and Del. Stacey Plaskett, The Independent found.¹ In May 2013, a fundraiser invited Epstein to a congressional dinner with President Obama on behalf of Jeffries, though Jeffries has said he never met Epstein and was unaware of the outreach.⁵

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida under a non-prosecution agreement. He served 13 months in a county jail with work-release privileges and registered as a sex offender.

Dispute Over File Completeness

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, told The American Conservative that the DOJ continues withholding Epstein documents despite the Epstein Transparency Act.¹ Attorney General Pam Bondi testified that the department released all available files, but Massie said he lost confidence in Bondi over the dispute.¹ Rep. Nancy Mace accused DOJ of hiding names in the release.¹

Bondi listed 300 names in the initial release but faced criticism for including deceased celebrities in the count.¹

Bannon’s Contact With Epstein

Separately, text messages released by the DOJ show Steve Bannon, the podcaster and former White House strategist, exchanged communications with Epstein. Bannon told the New York Times the relationship served the purpose of “getting Mr. Epstein to open up.”² The texts follow previously reported connections, including discussions about Pope Francis.⁴

Broader Political Fallout

The files have triggered resignations and investigations across multiple sectors. Congressional subpoenas have been issued to Peter Mandelson and billionaire Les Wexner.³ Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces pressure from GOP senators over his documented Epstein contacts. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called President Trump’s handling of the file release a “political miscalculation.”

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking in July 2019. He died Aug. 10, 2019, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in what officials ruled a suicide.