Some stories reveal corruption. Others reveal character.
But the Epstein story — and the newest set of unsealed communications — reveals something far darker: the human willingness to ignore evil when it comes wrapped in power, wealth, and elite access.

In our latest episode of Breaking Battlegrounds, investigative reporter Ben Wieder of McClatchy and the Miami Herald joins us to break down the newest trove of documents and the uncomfortable truth they expose about America’s political class.

And if the revelations feel shocking, it’s because so many of the people demanding transparency are the same people who show up again — and again — in the files.

Why Epstein’s Power Worked Long After His Crimes Were Known

Ben Wieder made something clear from the start:
Epstein wasn’t just a criminal — he was a test of character, and many in powerful positions failed it spectacularly.

His crimes were no secret. By 2009, he was:

  • A convicted sex offender

  • A man whose circle openly included young women

  • Someone whose reputation was widely documented

And yet, as Ben noted:

“Once you get to 2009… this guy is now a registered sex offender. There’s no confusion about who you’re dealing with. And yet it doesn’t stop people.”

The question becomes: Why not?

Wieder points to a simple, disturbing truth:
Power makes people suspend judgment. Money makes them forget morality.

If Epstein had lived in a trailer park, no one would answer his calls.
But surrounded by mansions, jets, and doors into the elite political world? Suddenly the “neighborhood sex offender” becomes a networking opportunity.

The Politicians Who Wanted the Files Released… Until Their Names Appeared

The newest round of disclosures are explosive not just because of Epstein’s behavior — but because of everyone else’s.

Ben breaks down the growing list of lawmakers whose communications, donations, and access requests persisted after Epstein’s conviction:

  • Members of Congress

  • Former cabinet officials

  • Fundraisers

  • Power brokers who absolutely knew better

Perhaps the most shocking detail:
Some of the loudest voices demanding the files be made public are now the ones appearing in them.

As Sam Stone asked during the episode:

“Did they really think it wasn’t going to happen — that there was so much on other people they’d be protected?”

That includes notable figures like:

  • Hakeem Jeffries, who is reported to have solicited money from Epstein after 2009

  • Stacey Plaskett, who received guidance from Epstein long after his conviction

When asked whether it was possible Plaskett didn’t know Epstein’s background, Wieder’s response was blunt:

“I would hope any person elected to Congress can perform a basic Google search.”

The Ugly Truth: Power Protects Power

What this story shows — beyond the horrific nature of Epstein’s crimes — is a pattern that keeps repeating:

  • If you’re wealthy, the powerful excuse you.

  • If you’re connected, the elites forgive you.

  • If you’re useful, people forget who you are.

The tragedy is that the victims mattered less to these leaders than Epstein’s proximity to influence.

As Wieder put it, the new files expose a truth that “can’t be said enough”:

“No one wants to claim they were friends with Epstein. But once you see these emails, you can’t say that anymore.”

With more disclosures expected, the only real question left is:
Who else thought they were above being exposed?

Listen to the Full Conversation

Ben Wieder brings years of reporting, context, and receipts.
This is one of our most revealing episodes yet — not because of what Epstein did, but because of what so many others chose to ignore.

Transcript

Sam Stone: Welcome back to Breaking Battlegrounds. next guest up today, Ben Wieder, is an investigative reporter in McClatchy’s Washington Bureau and for the Miami Herald. He worked previously at the Center for Public Integrity and Stateline and he is frankly leading a lot of the coverage on the Epstein files and all the disclosures that are coming from that right now. Follow him on X at Ben B. Wieder.

Chuck Warren: Ben, so Kimberly Strassel, the Wall Street Journal, had this joke. TMZ and the National Enquirer walked into a DC bar. Fall in love, have a baby, a scandal fest for the ages, which Congress delivers. What is everybody missing about the Epstein story? This tawdry tale. Go ahead.

**Ben Wieder: **The remarkable thing about the Epstein story is I think it shows, unfortunately, the degree to which power, the perception of power, money, will cause otherwise seemingly rational people to make terrible decisions about who they spend time with. It’s almost like if you have a lot of money, if you have proximity to famous, powerful people, people will sort of look past any number of misdeeds.

And it doesn’t get more stark than with Jeffrey Epstein. I mean, this is a guy whose crimes are horrific. And by the time many people in the most recent batch of emails that were released were communicating with him, it was known. I mean, this was not a secret. You can make an argument if you’re talking about his, know, Jeffrey Epstein’s communication with President Trump or with even the former president Bill Clinton that, you know, much of their relationship preceded criminal charges against him. They might not have known, you know?

Listen, I think we have a sense that they knew that he was a guy who was surrounded by women and, you know, some of them on the younger side, but they might not have really known. I mean, you know, no one’s necessarily out there checking IDs. But once you get to 2009, which is where the emails start that were recently released, it’s out there. This guy is now a registered sex offender. This guy is now pleaded guilty. And even if the charges he’s pleaded guilty are kind of watered down based on what he was accused of.

I mean, one of them was, you know, prostitution with a with a child so there’s no there’s no confusion about who you’re dealing with at this point and yet it doesn’t stop people and and.

**Chuck Warren: **Right, and if he didn’t have money, they would have avoided him. It’s all, this is all money.

Ben Wieder: One hundred percent. It there’s the you know there’s this like joke you know classy if rich people do it trashy if poor people right you know.

**Chuck Warren: **It’s like day drinking. It’s like day drinking. Yeah. Right?

Ben Wieder: Exactly exactly you know if Epstein’s living in like a trailer park no one’s gonna touch him with a ten-foot pole this is the you know that the neighborhood sex offender that everyone’s putting up flyers and saying avoid this guy at all costs. But he’s not, he’s living in mansions across the world and so everyone’s like hey can you introduce me to your friends you know, can I come to your party? I mean it’s just such a stark difference and that’s why I think it’s so essential and I think that’s a point that it can’t be said enough about this most recent release.

Which is you know so many of the relationships you know people. No one wants to claim now that they were friends with Jeffrey Epstein. Everyone wants to say oh as soon as I knew I cut the guy off. But once you see these emails you can’t say that anymore. You know Lawrence Summers treasured secretary you can’t say that.

Sam Stone: Ben, that’s one of the things that’s been most amazing in all of this, especially the lead up to the passage of the bill and the start of the release of these files, is a lot of the people who were screaming the loudest to have these files released, their names are there. Like, did they really just think it wasn’t gonna happen? That, you know, there was so much on other people that they would be protected? Like, Hakeem Jeffries asked for money, as I understand it, asked for money from the guy after 2009.

Ben Wieder: It’s it is wild. You know he was he was obviously you know on the one hand there are a lot of politicians who started you know giving back his money but you know you think about you know the relationship he had with the the congresswoman from the Virgin Islands Stacy Plaskett. Who’s happily taking money from him and not just taking money taking guidance on on her conduct in congress after that and there’s a lot of questions.

Chuck Warren: Is there any way she did not know about his background?

**Ben Wieder: **I think that that you know you you have to be pretty ignorant. I’ll put it this way I would hope that any person who is elected to serve in congress has an ability to perform a basic google search.

Sam Stone: I’d question whether that’s true, unfortunately.

Listen to the full episode of Breaking Battlegrounds anywhere you stream your podcasts!