A Florida congresswoman is pushing back on how the Jeffrey Epstein investigation has been used in Washington, arguing that attempts to tie President Donald Trump to the disgraced financier ultimately missed the mark.
According to the New York Post, Anna Paulina Luna said in a recent podcast appearance that questioning surrounding Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly failed to implicate Donald Trump, despite persistent efforts.
“I think it backfired,” Luna said during an interview with Miranda Devine on “Pod Force One.” “We saw a number of individuals exonerate the president thereafter. And then you saw them basically blatantly lie and try to make it political, alleging that President Trump was somehow a pedophile.”
Luna described the questioning of Epstein victims as a focal point of the broader probe, noting that lawmakers from both parties participated. She argued, however, that some of the same figures calling for accountability have resisted transparency efforts in other areas.
According to Luna, lawmakers who have been vocal about seeking justice in the Epstein case also opposed her push to release the names of members of Congress who used taxpayer funds to settle sexual misconduct allegations.
“People were pissed off” by that effort, she said, referring to what she described as a “slush fund.”
The congresswoman framed the controversy as part of a larger political battle, claiming Trump has been the target of what she called a “smear campaign.”
“This is very much so used as a political smear campaign against the president, but for those of us that are taking the investigation seriously, we do want justice,” she said.
Luna also discussed testimony gathered by the House Oversight Committee, including appearances by Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
“You know, Bill Clinton was a lot more cooperative than Hillary was,” Luna said, while emphasizing that subpoenas in the investigation were issued on a bipartisan basis.
She pointed to longstanding allegations involving Clinton and Epstein’s private island, noting that the former president denied visiting the location under oath.
“It was alleged that Bill Clinton was on Epstein’s island a number of times by a now deceased victim,” she said. “And when we asked Bill Clinton under oath if that was true, he denied it and said that he was never at Jeffrey Epstein’s island, but he did travel on his plane.”
Luna suggested additional figures may be called to testify as the inquiry continues, including Bill Gates, who has acknowledged past interactions with Epstein but denied wrongdoing.
“He was willing to testify, so I think that many people, specifically if they did have closer relationships with Jeffrey Epstein, are going to have to testify for sure,” she said.
Since arriving in Congress, Luna has positioned herself as an outspoken figure within her party, often challenging leadership and advocating for policies aligned with Trump’s agenda.
“I like to tell Mike I’m his favorite pain in the ass,” she said. “And I definitely think I am.”
Her comments underscore the ongoing political tensions surrounding the Epstein investigation, as lawmakers continue to debate both accountability and transparency in one of the most scrutinized cases in recent years.