On October 21, 2026, audio circulated of Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers saying he would have been cautious about releasing the Epstein files, that conduct around the island should be released, and that a big ugly House floor vote was the wrong way. The clip was passed around as leaked audio but comes from an interview. The discussion has since widened from whether the argument lands with voters to the money behind it: the first national Democratic ad in Kansas says Roger Marshall voted to keep the files sealed, and Democrats have spent at least $20 million on Senate ads mentioning the Epstein files, with several million more on the House side.