Epstein Issue May Sit Behind Midterms, but Experts Say It Is Not Going Away
As US voters head toward crucial and fraught midterm elections, some advocates for survivors in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have expressed concern that the scandal could recede into the background. Political experts, however, believe the issue is not going away permanently, and that the return of Congress is likely to bring a renewed focus on the late sex offender's activities.
Epstein, the late financier and accused sex trafficker, moved in a social circle that was widespread among America's elite. Experts say many voters can balance day-to-day concerns such as affordability and artificial intelligence with the scandal at the same time.
Spencer Kuvin of Goldlaw, who has represented multiple Epstein survivors, said his greatest concern is not that the public will forget Epstein, but that the politicians and institutions responsible for accountability will use the chaos of world events as an excuse to move on.
Wars, economic crises and political controversies may dominate the headlines, Kuvin added, but they do not erase the suffering of the victims or the unanswered questions about how Epstein and his powerful associates were allowed to operate for decades. Justice, he said, should not have an expiration date, and it certainly should not be dictated by the news cycle.
Kuvin called for the US government to continue releasing the Epstein files — which many have said were excluded from allegedly incomplete disclosures — and for Congress to demand accountability.
Jennifer Freeman of Marsh Law, who represents numerous Epstein survivors in litigation surrounding his sexual abuse of teenage girls, said it has been disappointing to see attention diverted from Epstein in the past year. She nevertheless expressed optimism about the long-term prospects of justice, saying that while public attention may have shifted because of the electoral cycle, she is confident it will command concentration and accountability again shortly.
Freeman noted that she is continuing to pursue a lawsuit against the US government for alleged negligence in repeatedly, for decades, dropping the ball on investigating and prosecuting Epstein. She is also litigating a class-action lawsuit against his estate related to his collection and production of child sex abuse images.
Brittany Martinez, a Republican strategist who works as acting director of Principles First, said it feels like everything is on fire. People can care about several things at once, she said, but what directly affects their lives tends to take priority — worries about gas prices, living costs and whether their government is working for them can push Epstein out of the immediate conversation. The questions and the demand for answers have not gone away, she added; they are just competing for attention, so the issue may be heard less for stretches rather than disappearing altogether.
Shawn Donahue, a clinical associate professor in the University at Buffalo's department of political science, pointed to timing. Congress has been in recess, and without members on the House floor there has been no discussion of the proposed new iteration of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That bill, the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, seeks to address what advocates say are shortfalls in the present law, such as an absence of enforcement mechanisms.
Donahue said that when Congress comes back into session, the issue will probably become prominent again, especially if Democrats end up in control of one or both chambers. Should Democrats win the House, as polls project, he expects they will swiftly put Republicans on the spot over Epstein, adding that Democrats are ready to start on the investigation from day one.
Julie Roginsky, who co-founded the non-profit Lift Our Voices, said the significance of Epstein among voters has not gone away. She argued that Epstein is part of the reason President Donald Trump's numbers are at record lows, and that it was one of the issues where even MAGA Republicans broke with him. If Democrats win control of at least one house of Congress this year, she expects much more conversation about survivors and about Epstein starting next year.
Teresa Leger Fernández, the Democratic representative from New Mexico, said in a statement that the issue is bigger than a moment: it is a reckoning, and Americans are ready to have the conversation about power, abuse and who gets protected. Americans will vote with their pocketbooks — worried about groceries, gas and making rent — she said, but they will not forget that this president was Epstein's friend and tried to hide the truth from them, and the survivors have fought for decades to be heard.
Massachusetts Democratic representative Ayanna Pressley said justice for survivors of Epstein's abuse has been a prominent issue among the electorate because people of conscience see through the cover-ups of the Trump administration and demand accountability — and that will not change. Pressley, Leger Fernández and representative Deborah Ross recently introduced legislation to address survivors' financial burdens.
New Mexico Democratic senator Ben Ray Luján said he would keep pushing for the files to be released in full, despite the Department of Justice insisting it has released all the Epstein investigative files required under the law. Attention now turns to the return of Congress — and how strongly the debate revives once lawmakers are back in session.
