Family of Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre appears in ad targeting Colorado Republican Crank
In short
The campaign arm working to elect House Democrats released an ad featuring the brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim who died by suicide last year, CNN reported. The ad backs Democrat Jessica Killin against Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado's 5th Congressional District and criticizes Crank for refusing to meet the family. Crank's campaign called the ad's statements "intentionally vague" and said he voted to release the Epstein files in the only up-or-down House vote.
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The campaign arm working to elect House Democrats released a political advertisement on Monday featuring the family of Virginia Giuffre, a Jeffrey Epstein victim who died by suicide last year, according to CNN. The ad backs Democratic candidate Jessica Killin, who is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado's 5th Congressional District, CNN reported. The New York Times described the race as tight. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In the ad, Giuffre's brother Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda Roberts speak directly to camera. "My sister, Virginia, was one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims," Sky Roberts says, according to CNN. "She spent her life trying to expose the truth. After she died, we promised to carry on her fight." Amanda Roberts says: "But our own congressman, Jeff Crank, refused to meet with us. Then, when he had the chance to expose the truth and release the Epstein files, he repeatedly voted to cover them up." The ad ends with the two meeting Killin over cups of coffee, CNN reported. The Guardian US reported the couple expressed disappointment that Crank had voted to block a vote to release the federal investigative files relating to Epstein. [ 2 , 3 ]
A Crank campaign spokesperson called the statements in the ad "intentionally vague." "Congressman Crank voted to release the Epstein files in the only up or down vote on the floor of the House of Representatives," the spokesperson said, according to CNN. "It took a Republican Congress to release these files and provide the first transparency into this issue." The spokesperson added that the ad's statements are vague "because the fact pattern does not support desperate Lobbyist Jessica Killin's desired political attack." [ 2 ]
CNN reported that Crank last year declined to sign a bipartisan discharge petition that would have forced a vote on the House floor to release thousands of files related to Epstein, and that he later voted to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which compelled the government to release documents. The Guardian US reported that Crank supported the act, which authorized the release of a tranche of documents in a near-unanimous vote. [ 2 , 3 ]
The Guardian US reported the couple have become increasingly politically active. Over the summer they urged senators on the Senate judiciary committee to block the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general, and they criticized a decision by the Department of Justice to restrict the release of unredacted files to Epstein investigators in New Mexico. In February they appeared at Donald Trump's State of the Union address as guests of Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee. [ 3 ]
The Guardian US also reported that Epstein has become a major issue for Trump amid public unhappiness over his administration's handling of the issue, and that while Democrats are largely focusing on economic issues ahead of the midterm elections, the Epstein issue has cropped up in some races. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The ad shows the Epstein files issue surfacing in a specific midterm race, which the New York Times describes as tight in Colorado, even as the Guardian US reports Democrats are largely campaigning on economic issues. The relatives of Virginia Giuffre have become politically active, giving them a role in the midterm campaign beyond this one advertisement.
Key facts
- The campaign arm working to elect House Democrats released a political advertisement on Monday featuring relatives of Virginia Giuffre, a Jeffrey Epstein victim who died by suicide last year. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The ad supports Democratic candidate Jessica Killin, who is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado's 5th Congressional District. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Giuffre's brother Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda Roberts appear in the ad and say Crank refused to meet with them and voted to block release of the Epstein files. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A Crank campaign spokesperson called the ad's statements "intentionally vague" and said Crank voted to release the Epstein files in the only up-or-down vote on the House floor. [ 2 ]
- Crank declined last year to sign a bipartisan discharge petition that would have forced a House vote on releasing Epstein-related files, and later voted to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The New York Times described the Crank-Killin race as tight. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- An ad released by the campaign arm working to elect House Democrats features Giuffre's brother Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda Roberts. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The ad supports Democrat Jessica Killin against Republican Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado's 5th Congressional District. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The relatives criticize Crank for refusing to meet with them. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Crank later supported the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which authorized release of documents; the Guardian US described the vote as near-unanimous. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Crank "repeatedly voted to cover up" the Epstein files, as the ad says, or voted to release them, as his campaign says. The ad's claim and the campaign's response are reported but the documents do not resolve the dispute; the campaign response appears only in CNN's account.
- The Crank campaign's full statement, including its description of Killin as a "desperate Lobbyist." Single-source claim reported only by CNN; the other outlets do not carry the campaign's response.
- Whether Crank refused to meet with the family in Washington, as the ad and the Guardian US report the couple claim. The documents report the family's account and the campaign's rejection of the ad's statements, without independent confirmation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Times publishes a report on the ad targeting Crank, describing the Colorado race as tight. [ 1 ]
- CNN reports that the campaign arm working to elect House Democrats released the ad on Monday, and carries the Crank campaign's response. [ 2 ]
- The Guardian US reports on the ad and on the Giuffre family's broader political activity. [ 3 ]