Senator Elizabeth Warren has formally requested that Kevin Warsh clarify his relationship, if any, with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019. Warsh is President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Chair of the Federal Reserve.
In a letter delivered on Wednesday, Warren - the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee - flagged documents released earlier this year that mention Warsh in connection with Epstein. The senator highlighted a set of communications by Epstein employees that reference Warsh in relation to plans for a holiday gathering on the Caribbean island of St. Barthélemy in 2010.
"It is unclear whether and to what extent you interacted with Mr. Epstein in association with the invitation referenced in this email exchange," Warren wrote.
Warren underscored the need for openness as the Senate prepares to evaluate Warsh’s nomination to the Fed’s top post. In the same letter, she said that as the Senate considers his nomination, it is essential that both Congress and the public have a full account of any interactions or relationships Warsh may have had with Epstein.
"As the Senate considers your nomination to serve as Chair of the Fed, it is essential that Congress and the public fully understand the extent of any interactions or relationship you had with Jeffrey Epstein," she wrote.
The senator noted the timing of the communications that include Warsh’s name - they took place after Epstein had been convicted of sex crimes involving a minor and while he was facing civil lawsuits alleging similar conduct. Warren is the ranking minority member of the Senate Banking Committee, the body responsible for reviewing nominations to lead the Federal Reserve, and she has used that position to press for details.
Warren requested that Warsh provide responses to eight specific questions about potential interactions with Epstein and people connected to him. The senator set a deadline for those responses of March 31.
The correspondence focuses narrowly on the references to Warsh in the released documents and on whether any meetings, communications, or other associations with Epstein or his associates occurred in connection with the invitation cited in the email exchange. The letter does not assert conclusions about the nature of Warsh’s involvement, but it seeks factual clarification to inform the committee’s consideration of his fitness to lead the Federal Reserve.
With the nomination process underway, the request frames transparency around personal associations as a matter for congressional review prior to any confirmation vote.
Reporting note: The facts presented in this article are drawn from the senator's letter and the documents referenced within it.