Seth Moulton and Ed Markey clashed in a heated Senate debate Monday night over allegations that the incumbent senator appeared in newly released Epstein files, with Markey vehemently denying the claims and Moulton defending his questions as legitimate inquiry.
During the second of three planned debates in their Massachusetts Democratic primary race, Moulton asked Markey: “In the newly released Epstein files, your name appears repeatedly. Why would you even take a meeting with a lobbyist on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein?” Markey responded sharply, calling the accusation “absolutely reprehensible” and “the worst of the playbook of destruction and character assassination which is so characteristic of MAGA Republicans.”
Moulton’s campaign, which searched the Department of Justice’s Epstein Library, pointed to a 2015 email in which a lobbyist claimed to have met with Markey regarding efforts to free Karim Wade, the imprisoned son of a former Senegalese president. The lobbyist was working on Wade’s behalf through a firm partly funded by Jeffrey Epstein, though the email shows no evidence Markey knew Epstein was backing the effort.
Markey’s campaign disputed the core claim entirely. In a statement to GBH News, Markey said he checked his calendars and those of his staff, and concluded no such meeting ever took place. “I never had a meeting. I never, at any time, did anything,” Markey said. His campaign spokesperson added: “Neither Senator Markey nor his staff were briefed by any lobbyists nor had any meetings related to Jeffrey Epstein and the case of Karim Wade.”
The exchange marked one of the most incendiary moments in a debate where the two Democrats, despite sharing similar policy positions, leveled serious personal accusations at each other. The primary election is set for September 1, 2026.
Markey, 80 and seeking a third Senate term after 50 years in Congress, has consistently led Moulton, 47, in polling. Moulton has built his challenge around generational change and criticism of Markey’s ties to Democratic leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The Epstein files, released following the death of the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, have become a focal point for opposition research as the primary intensifies.
Moderators at the debate pushed Moulton for specifics after he made the Epstein claim. When asked for evidence, Moulton’s campaign pointed back to the email where the lobbyist stated he had met with Markey. Campaign representative Doug Rubin said the email constitutes “public evidence directly from the Epstein files,” though the connection between Markey and Epstein himself remains unestablished in the materials Moulton’s campaign has released.
The two candidates are scheduled to meet for a third and final debate on August 20 before the September primary.
Sources
- GBH News — Markey’s campaign statement disputing the 2015 meeting claim, with direct quotes from Markey and his spokesperson
- Boston Globe — Details of the Epstein files evidence Moulton cited, including the 2015 email and its context regarding Karim Wade
- WBUR — Debate coverage and fact-checking of the Epstein exchange
- NBC Boston — Coverage of the debate and Moulton’s allegations
- Ballotpedia — Confirmation of the September 1, 2026 primary election date
