Associated Press
- Financier Jeffrey Epstein was an important political donor before he pleaded guilty to charges of felony sexual solicitation of underage girls in Florida in 2008.
- Epstein donated $184,276 to politicians on both sides of the aisle including Chuck Schumer, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Bob Dole since 1990, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
- Three of the public officials - Eliot Spitzer, Bob Packwood, and Bill Clinton - who received donations from Epstein have also faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
- Financier Jeffrey Epstein pleaded not guilty to new charges of sex trafficking on July 8, 2019.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Jeffrey Epstein, the financier charged with sex trafficking of underage girls, was once a major political donor.
Since 1990, Epstein has donated $147,426 to various Democrats and $18,250 to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Chuck Schumer, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Bob Dole received thousands a piece.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to felony sexual solicitation of underage girls. Epstein continued to make donations after he was released from a 13-month prison term.
Some politicians, including disgraced former New York governor Eliot Spitzer and retired Senator Chris Dodd, returned Epstein's donations as accusations of the financier's wrongdoings became public. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also returned a $10,000 gift from Epstein three days after receiving it in 2018, according to The Daily Beast.
Keep reading to learn more about Epstein's political donations.