Democratic Ads Misleadingly Connect Susan Collins to Epstein

In the Maine Senate race, ads from a Democratic ace PAC misleadingly assertion Republican Sen. Susan Collins formed a ballot to “cover up the Epstein files” and received “$3 cardinal to her ace PAC” from “Jeffrey Epstein’s concern partner.”

Collins supported an Epstein-files disclosure bill successful November that required the Department of Justice to publically merchandise records related to the convicted enactment offender. She had voted 2 months earlier against an amendment that called for the merchandise of the files and was attached to a defence spending bill. Collins said she opposed adding the amendment to an unrelated bill.

Furthermore, the advertisement stretches the facts successful claiming that “Epstein’s concern partner” gave wealth to Collins. A governmental enactment committee supporting Collins received millions of dollars successful contributions from a antheral who was reportedly a “founding member” of a backstage New York City nine on with Epstein and galore different affluent people.

A spokesperson for the antheral told america helium had nary narration with Epstein. 

This is the 3rd clip this predetermination rhythm that we have written astir Democratic ads misleadingly citing Republican senators’ votes to artifact the amendment and not mentioning that the afloat Senate aboriginal supported releasing the Epstein files. The ads besides effort to link the Republican senators who blocked the amendment to radical linked successful immoderate mode to Epstein.

The ads against Collins were sponsored by WinSenate, a ace PAC that works to elite Democrats to the Senate. Collins is facing Democrat Troy Jackson, a erstwhile Maine authorities Senate president, successful a close race for her seat.

WinSenate released the archetypal onslaught advertisement connected Sept. 24. In it, a woman, identified arsenic a retired teacher, says she is “horrified” and claims: “Susan Collins voted to screen up the Epstein files. She knew 14-year-old girls were raped. Turns retired that Jeffrey Epstein’s concern spouse funneled $3 cardinal to her ace PAC. Susan Collins took the wealth and protected kid predators.”

The 2nd ad, which started airing Sept. 29, features the aforesaid pistillate saying Collins “voted with Trump to screen up the Epstein files” — but the advertisement leaves retired the assertion astir donations from an alleged Epstein concern partner.

For the Epstein files claim, the advertisement cites Senate rotation telephone vote 512 connected Sept. 10, 2025. That’s erstwhile Collins — and astir each Republican senators — voted to array an amendment Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer tried to see successful the annual bill that sets the fund and policies for the Defense Department. Schumer’s amendment called for the U.S. lawyer wide to merchandise each unclassified worldly pertaining to Epstein, including documents astir national investigations of Epstein and his associates, arsenic good arsenic accusation astir Epstein’s 2019 decease that was ruled a suicide. At the clip of his death, Epstein, a affluent financier, was successful jailhouse and facing national charges of enactment trafficking minors.

According to the New York Times, Collins said of the failed amendment: “It does not beryllium connected the Department of Defense argumentation bill.” The paper besides reported that Collins “said she opposed Mr. Schumer’s measurement due to the fact that a akin amendment had been adopted connected a spending measure that would money the Justice Department.” 

But the amendment that Collins supported successful the July 2025 markup league by the Senate Appropriations Committee did not necessitate the aforesaid level of disclosure. It required the lawyer wide to “retain, preserve, and compile” Epstein-related records oregon grounds and taxable a study to Congress. While that DOJ spending measure had not yet passed successful the Senate, “Ms. Collins said it was a much due conveyance for a measurement connected the Epstein files,” the Times wrote.

In addition, erstwhile the Epstein Files Transparency Act — a standalone measure to merchandise the Epstein documents — came up for information successful the Senate successful November, it passed by unanimous consent, which means the measure was not opposed by Collins oregon immoderate different senator.

“I enactment the merchandise of the Epstein files,” Collins said successful a statement astir the measure passing. “This is an important measurement for the survivors of these heinous crimes.”

As we person explained before, President Donald Trump initially opposed Congress’ attempts to merchandise the files, but relented days earlier the Senate passed the measure successful November.

The ‘Business Partner’ Claim

The archetypal WinSenate advertisement that aired suggested Collins voted against Schumer’s amendment due to the fact that of millions of dollars successful donations from an Epstein associate.

Although the advertisement does not notation the alleged Epstein “business partner” by name, it does mention donations to a pro-Collins ace PAC connected June 27, 2025, and June 26, 2026. Federal Election Commission records amusement connected those dates, Stephen Schwarzman, the co-founder, president and CEO of the Blackstone concern absorption firm, made contributions totaling $3 cardinal to Pine Tree Results PAC, a radical supporting Collins successful the 2026 midterms. (Maine is known arsenic the Pine Tree State.)

Schwarzman’s archetypal donation, which was $2 million, was made much than 2 months earlier the ballot connected Schumer’s amendment. But the 2nd donation, which was $1 million, was made much than six months aft the afloat Senate supported disclosing the files.

The “business partner” statement was based connected reporting that Schwarzman and Epstein were among the precise archetypal radical who paid to articulation Core Club, a backstage nine successful New York City that was founded by Jennie Enterprise successful 2005.

“Susan Collins blocked the merchandise of the Epstein files and past her PAC accepted millions from a concern subordinate of Epstein’s, an idiosyncratic who belonged to the aforesaid exclusive concern club,” Lauren French, a spokesperson for WinSenate, said successful a connection to us. “As [has] been publically reported, they ‘were founders and members of an exclusive societal nine for billionaires.'”

The “founders” connection does look successful a July 21 MeidasTouch News story with the headline: “More Donations from Epstein Contacts to Susan Collins Uncovered.” The communicative from the left-leaning outlet went connected to notation Schwarzman’s donations to Pine Tree Results PAC and said, “Schwarzman and Epstein were founders and members of an exclusive societal nine for billionaires successful New York called the Core Club.”

But to telephone them “business partners” is simply a stretch.

We reached retired to the Core Club’s property bureau for comment, but person not received a response.

The Real Deal, a existent property quality publication, reported successful February that Epstein “paid $100,000 arsenic a founding member, alongside 150 different investors, according to a spokesperson for Core.” Its communicative said, “Epstein’s chap founding members included Aby Rosen of RFR, Steven Roth of Vornado Realty Trust and Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone Group.”

In 2011, the New York Times besides referred to Schwarzman arsenic among the “founding members” of the club, “who anted up an archetypal concern of $100,000 erstwhile the nine was conceived.”

“Being founders of the aforesaid exclusive nine inherently makes individuals partners successful business,” French said successful an earlier connection provided to PolitiFact and Quick Check, an predetermination diagnostic of the Bangor Daily News.

But different than paying wealth to articulation and get the nine started, it’s not wide that Schwarzman and Epstein ever did concern unneurotic arsenic “partners,” which implies a adjacent moving relationship.

The men had nary relationship, a spokesperson for Schwarzman told us.

“It would beryllium categorically mendacious and reckless to assertion oregon connote that Steve had immoderate narration with this despicable individual,” the spokesperson said successful an email.

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