FACT CHECK: Latest GOP Ad Exploits Epstein Victims for Political Gain, Lies About Dembo

GOP’s latest attempt to save Alvarado’s flailing campaign hits a new low 

Lexington, KY – In a desperate attempt to resurrect career politician Ralph Alvarado’s campaign, his allies are spending millions of dollars on political advertisements that lie about former federal prosecutor and veteran Zach Dembo’s real record. The ads manipulate videos to twist Dembo’s words from an interview last year. 

The Lexington Herald-Leader has determined, “No, the ad is not accurate.”

Here are the facts: 

• FACT: Zach Dembo has long called for the Epstein files to be released while Ralph Alvarado has stayed quiet on the issue until last week to smear our campaign.
  
  • In August of 2025, Dembo said during an interview on WKYT Kentucky Newsmakers: “One of the things we’re hearing about a lot these days is the Epstein files. I think that’s a great example of corruption in D.C., wherein the President promised to release them and has failed to do so. And you know where I come from, you keep your promises. And not only that, but as a prosecutor I know these victims deserve justice too. So I don’t care if Democrats or Republicans are hurt by the release of the Epstein files, we need to be transparent and we need to make sure that we aren’t protecting the rich and the powerful at the expense of normal, hardworking Kentuckians […] When asked, that is what I say: that they should absolutely release these files.” [2:55 – 4:00, WKYT 8/10/2025] 
    
• FACT: Zach Dembo is the only candidate in this race that has sent criminals like kidnappers and child rapists to jail for their crimes.
  
• FACT: Zach’s opponent Ralph Alvarado campaigned with disgraced ex-Governor Matt Bevin as his running mate and stayed silent when Bevin pardoned hundreds of criminals, including a child rapist. 
  
• FACT: Zach Dembo’s campaign has never solicited dark money from shady interests and he is the only candidate in this race who does not take a dime from corporate PACs. Dembo’s campaign does not accept contributions from Reid Hoffman, or anyone implicated in the Epstein files. Ralph Alvarado has accepted tens of thousands in corporate PAC money over his political career.
  
• FACT: Zach Dembo has not and cannot legally coordinate with “Kentuckians Not Corruption,” the PAC referenced in these deceptive ads. Any decisions that organization makes – funding or otherwise – are completely out of our campaign’s control.
  
• FACT: Ralph Alvarado has been bankrolled by the Epstein class, campaigning directly with Speaker Mike Johnson, who repeatedly blocked the release of the Epstein files, and Donald Trump, who has been mentioned in the Epstein files tens of thousands of times.
  

The ads in question insinuate that Dembo is complicit in Epstein co-conspirator crimes by deliberately cutting out the following bolded text. The full context and quote demonstrates that Dembo said the failure to release the Epstein files by Pam Bondi was actually one of the reasons he resigned in protest of the corruption: 

Last July, in regards to Pam Bondi’s leadership, Zach said the following: “I’m a little bit unclear right [now], based on the conflicting reports coming from the Attorney General, as to whether the Epstein files exist or not. So, the first thing I would ask is we need to know the truth about whether they do exist. That sort of discussion and the inconsistent statements coming from the Department leadership are a great example of why I had to resign in the first place and why I’m taking this step [to run for Congress].” 

Olivia Dupree, Zach Dembo’s campaign manager, released the following statement: 

“Unlike Ralph Alvarado, Zach Dembo doesn’t solicit money from shady corporate interests to get elected and will never be beholden to them and their interests.  

“As a federal prosecutor, Zach Dembo has gone after criminals and put them behind bars – including  kidnappers and a child rapist. Meanwhile, Alvarado ran on a ticket with Matt Bevin and stood by silently while he pardoned hundreds of people, including convicted rapists.  

“Alvarado never once spoke up about the terrible actions of Jeffrey Epstein until it became politically convenient to do so, while Zach has been calling for a full release of the files since the earliest days of his campaign. There is only one candidate who has the record and political independence required to stand up for victims of crime, including Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, and that’s Zach Dembo.”