As U.S. voters prepare to elect Congress on Nov. 3, campaigns are using past votes on Jeffrey Epstein-related records to challenge lawmakers and contest candidates’ alleged connections.
CNN reported Oct. 9 that its review identified more than 160 distinct ads tied to Epstein and over $35 million in airtime. The Washington Post reported Oct. 22, citing AdImpact, that ads mentioning Epstein in competitive races accounted for $53 million in Democratic spending and $3 million in Republican spending. The estimates cover different scopes and should not be combined as one total.
The Post said Democrats have framed the issue around corruption and fairness, while Republicans characterized the attacks as an effort to weaken or discourage their voters. Its reporting did not establish whether the ads changed voter behavior.
In Iowa, Hinson answered criticism from Josh Turek in an Oct. 13 campaign ad, saying, “Of course I voted to release the Epstein Files.” Her campaign said it planned to run the spot on broadcast, streaming and digital platforms across the state.
House records show Hinson’s July 15, 2025, vote was on a motion to order the previous question on a House rule. The motion passed 211-210. The Congressional Record says that if it had failed, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon planned to offer an amendment making Rep. Ro Khanna’s proposal to preserve and release Epstein-related records eligible for consideration. Hinson later voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The House passed the act 427-1 on Nov. 18, 2025, with five members not voting. President Donald Trump signed it the next day. The act gave the U.S. Department of Justice 30 days to make covered, unclassified records searchable and downloadable. It also set withholding and redaction exceptions, including safeguards for victims’ personal information. The department said Jan. 30, 2026, that its releases totaled nearly 3.5 million pages.
An AdImpact transcript identifies Accountable New Mexico as the advertiser behind a separate spot accusing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland of taking a flight on an Epstein-linked jet. The Associated Press reported that Haaland flew in 2014 on a private jet chartered by an Epstein company for Gary King’s campaign. Haaland said she did not know Epstein’s role and had never met him; her campaign said she had not flown on Epstein’s jet and never took money from him.
The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
