Epstein donated almost exclusively to Democrats: Open Secrets

In Washington, Democrats may have inadvertently handed President Donald Trump a political victory regarding one of the most explosive transparency fights of the year: the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

After months of high-volume demands from the left that Trump “release everything,” the president this week signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the Department of Justice to make public all unclassified materials tied to Epstein’s trafficking network. While Democrats had framed the demand as a pressure point against Trump, he signed the bill without resistance, inviting whatever comes next. It’s almost as if he had set a trap.

And what comes next may not be what Democrats expected.

Donation records tell a story: Epstein’s political contributions went almost entirely to Democrats

Based on comprehensive data from the Federal Election Commission compiled by nonpartisan groups such as OpenSecrets, Epstein’s documented federal political contributions between 1989 and 2003 totaled roughly $157,000. Of that:

• More than $139,000, or nearly 90%, went to Democratic candidates and committees.

• More than $18,000, or about 11.5%, went to Republicans.

• 0% went to Donald Trump. No FEC records show any Epstein donations to Trump or to any Trump-connected political apparatus.

Epstein’s giving peaked during the Clinton era. Among the recipients:

• Bill Clinton received $1,000 in 1992.

• Hillary Clinton received $20,000 in 1999.

• Chuck Schumer received about $7,000 across multiple cycles.

• The Democratic National Committee took in roughly $32,000 from Epstein over time.

• The DSCC and DCCC also accepted money, including a 2018 $10,000 donation to the DCCC that was later refunded.

A few Democrats later donated equivalent amounts to anti-trafficking groups,

Republicans received comparatively little. Epstein gave small contributions to figures such as George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole, but the political pattern overwhelmingly favored Democrats.

Epstein and Trump had social overlap in the 1990s and early 2000s, part of the New York social scene that included events, clubs, mutual acquaintances, which is similar to many high-profile New York figures of the era. But their relationship ended around 2004, after a reported falling-out.

Crucially, Epstein never donated to Trump, and Trump did not enter politics until 2015, and Epstein was convicted in 2008.

The “Epstein files” refer to extensive records held by the DOJ: emails, logs, financial documents, internal investigative memos, testimony, and communications related to Epstein and his trafficking network. Prior partial releases, over 43,000 pages made public this year, have included references to high-profile individuals across multiple spheres.

Mentions are not evidence of criminal activity. Survivors like Virginia Giuffre have publicly said Trump did nothing wrong. Despite years of speculation, the files do not appear to contain a “client list.”

The political twist came this week. After months of Democrats insisting on full disclosure, Trump signed the law compelling the DOJ to release all unclassified Epstein-related materials. The law passed with bipartisan pressure, but Democrats had cast it as a tool that they believed would politically damage Trump.

Instead, Trump signed it and framed it as a transparency win, while suggesting Democrats may regret pushing so insistently.

The first tranche of full releases is expected in the coming weeks. What they reveal, and how the political world responds, is likely to dominate national conversation heading into early 2026.

A Federal Election Commission search through the records of Alaska political figures going back more than two decades reveals no dollars from Epstein going to their political campaigns.