Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, a neurosurgeon based on Long Island, has publicly addressed the fallout from being mistakenly linked by Rep. Jasmine Crockett to the late convicted sex offender of the same name.
Crockett, during a House floor speech, alleged that donations to former Rep. Lee Zeldin’s 2020 campaign came from “Jeffrey Epstein”—implying the infamous financier despite his death in 2019. Federal Election Commission records reveal the donations were from a different person—Dr. Epstein—who contributed $1,000 in April and again in August 2020.
The physician told reporters he has occasionally noticed odd reactions due to his name but said the recent public mix-up prompted him to contemplate taking steps in response. He joked he might donate to Crockett’s campaign and publicly announce the move to underscore what he called “the absurdity” of the identity confusion.
He acknowledged that while the name similarity has rarely caused trouble in his professional or personal life until now, the recent incident has drawn unwanted media attention and raised questions about the responsibility of public figures in verifying claims.