| | | |  | | By Ali Bianco | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) walks to speak with reporters after the committee deposed Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell on Capitol Hill on Feb. 9, 2026. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | MORE FILES, MORE FIRE: As movement on the investigation into the files of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein reached a temporary dead end on the Hill this morning, lawmakers are en route to the Justice Department to view the unredacted files for themselves as the saga shows no signs of dissipating. In all of five minutes: Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime co-conspirator, appeared virtually before the House Oversight Committee and as expected invoked her Fifth Amendment rights to avoid self-incrimination, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs reports. Maxwell had been subpoenaed by the committee last year but consistently declined to answer questions. Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters that five more depositions are coming. Notably, Bill and Hillary Clinton are due before the committee for separate appearances later this month. Maxwell’s legal team argued in an opening statement that a grant of clemency from President Donald Trump would facilitate her testimony. “For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation,” her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said in his remarks. Meanwhile, a group of survivors sent a letter to Congress today reiterating Maxwell’s “central” role in Epstein’s crimes. But lawmakers’ long list of questions for Maxwell will, for now, go unanswered. Coming up this afternoon: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who have spearheaded the charge for the Epstein files’ full release on the Hill, are headed to the DOJ. They’ll be joined by a growing collection of lawmakers today and throughout the week who are taking their own opportunity to review the unredacted files. Massie and Khanna are planning a joint press gaggle at 5 p.m. to deliver a readout on their findings. Still swirling: Top figures in the U.S. and abroad are facing mounting political pressure in the wake of the files’ release, with questions continuing to pile up as new details emerge. Howard Lutnick has become the latest focus of the furor. The Commerce secretary is now facing bipartisan calls to resign over his presence in the recently released batch of files, POLITICO’s Jordain Carney reports. After Massie called for Lutnick’s resignation yesterday, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) accused Lutnick this morning of having “lied” about his connection to the former financier. “Lutnick has sought to downplay their relationship, saying in a podcast appearance last year he vowed in 2005 to never again be in the same room as Epstein,” Jordain writes, but the new files “suggest he continued his interactions with Epstein, including planning a visit several years later to Epstein’s Caribbean island.” Comer notably didn’t rule out issuing a subpoena for Lutnick, but the Oversight chair said he’s prioritizing the current slate of subpoenas. Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) has also said Lutnick “must resign or be fired.” The response: The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Jordain writes. A spokesperson previously said that Lutnick had “limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.” Beyond the beltway: The torrent wave of backlash is getting bigger for British PM Keir Starmer, who’s now facing calls from Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar to step away from his post, POLITICO’s Andrew McDonald reports. That’s the most senior figure in Starmer’s party to publicly call for his removal after new details of former British Ambassador Peter Mandelson’s ties to Epstein have come to light. Starmer has tried to quash talk of his resignation, and he’s due to address his Labour Party later today. But adding fuel to the fire is the departure of a second senior aide in 24 hours: his comms chief, Tim Allan. Prince William and Princess Catherine said in their first public remarks since the latest file release that they’re “deeply concerned,” per WaPo. The fallout continues: The latest tranche of files showed nearly 2,000 emails between Epstein and billionaire real estate mogul Andrew Farkas, illustrating a deep friendship where Farkas called Epstein “one of the blessings” of his life, NYT’s Debra Kamin writes. Farkas has not been charged with a crime or accused of wrongdoing. “I deeply regret ever associating with Jeffrey Epstein,” he said in a statement to NYT. … And Norway’s foreign ministry announced that prominent ambassador, Mona Juul, is stepping down over “serious failure of judgement” in her connection to Epstein, per Reuters’ Nora Buli. A lawyer for Juul said she would “cooperate fully … to help ensure that all relevant facts in the matter come to light.” Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Send me your tips at abianco@politico.com. | | | | A message from AHIP: 35 Million Seniors Could See Reduced Benefits and Higher Costs. Health plans welcome reforms to strengthen Medicare Advantage. However, a proposal for flat program funding at a time of sharply rising medical costs and high utilization of care will directly impact seniors' coverage. If finalized, this proposal could result in benefit reductions and higher costs for 35 million seniors and people with disabilities when they renew their Medicare Advantage coverage in October 2026. Learn more. | | | | | | 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. WAR AND PEACE: Energy Secretary Chris Wright is set to brief senators on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on the Energy Department’s involvement in Venezuela in a closed-door meeting tomorrow, POLITICO’s E&E News’ Amelia Davidson reports. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that U.S. forces “chased down an oil tanker fleeing the quarantine around Venezuela all the way to the Indian Ocean,” per WSJ’s Shelby Holliday, “ending “a monthlong pursuit that ended in the ship’s capture.” It’s the eighth such ship that the U.S. has seized. Middle East latest: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump are expected to discuss potentially limiting ballistic missiles during their meeting on Wednesday, AP’s Natalie Melzer reports. And as the administration searches for breakthroughs in peace talks, Trump is turning to top military leaders to deliver on diplomatic negotiations, “sending the top U.S. commander in the Middle East to talks over Iran’s nuclear program and positioning the Army secretary as a key negotiator on ending the Russia-Ukraine war,” AP’s Ben Finley and Konstantin Toropin report. On the ground: “Iran Hardens Crackdown on Political Dissidents After US Talks,” by Bloomberg’s Golnar Motevalli: “Iran extended the prison sentence of a Nobel peace laureate and detained several prominent reformist figures, escalating a crackdown on dissents weeks after security forces killed thousands of people to quell nationwide protests.” 2. THE MUDDY MIDTERM AGENDA: With Trump sitting on a war chest of more than $300 million and only a limited slate of endorsements deployed so far, Republicans are questioning how when a plan for the midterms might come down from the White House, WaPo’s Isaac Arnsdorf and Liz Goodwin report. “People who have spoken with Trump about these obstacles said he at times can sound detached and noncommittal about his plans for spending and endorsements. One person close to the White House said some days the president seems not to care.” Save the date: Trump will speak at the NRCC’s annual fundraiser on March 25, per Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman. 3. DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO: “Senators’ stock trades directly overlapped with their committee work,” by CNN’s Annie Grayer and Marshall Cohen: “At least nine senators reported stock purchases or sales last year involving companies in industries overseen by the committees they serve on. … Most of those senators who invested in stocks that overlap with their committee assignments over the last year have comprehensive financial portfolios, not all of which raise potential conflict-of-interest issues … The trades made by the senators are legal, and lawmakers who disclosed these trades have denied they have any personal control over how their stock portfolios are invested.” “Among the senators who listed themselves as owners of stock in industries that their committees regulate are Republicans Bill Hagerty, John Kennedy, Ashley Moody, Jerry Moran, Bernie Moreno, Markwayne Mullin and Tommy Tuberville and Democrats John Hickenlooper, Gary Peters and Sheldon Whitehouse. … At least one Democrat and one Republican who have supported congressional stock-trading bans are among the senators who disclosed trades in recent months involving companies that cross their committee work.”
| | | | POLITICO Governors Summit Join POLITICO's annual Governors Summit, held alongside the National Governors Association’s Winter Meeting, for a series of forward-looking conversations with governors from across the country about how state leaders are setting the agenda for America’s next chapter. Hear from Gov. Wes Moore (D), Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), and more. Register Now. | | | | | 4. IMMIGRATION FILES: Less than 14 percent of the roughly 400,000 immigrants who have been arrested by ICE in Trump’s first year back in office had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, CBS’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez scoops. The data from DHS stand in stark contrast to the administration’s standing claim of going after “the worst of the worst.” The full breakdown shows roughly 10 percent of those arrested had assault charges, over 7 percent had DUI charges — but less than 2 percent had homicide or sexual assault charges. Rounding it out, nearly 40 percent had no charges at all other than a civil immigration violation. Everything is politics: As the Hill prepares for a week of debating a potential funding patch for DHS, expect masks on federal agents to be the central question, AP’s Lisa Mascaro writes. The ramifications for the sweeping ICE raids are also reverberating off the Hill: WSJ’s Elizabeth Findell and Ruth Simon report the raids are hitting South Texas’ economy and contractors in particular. Must read: “The Children of Dilley,” by ProPublica’s Mica Rosenberg: “ProPublica went inside the immigrant detention center for families in Dilley, Texas. Children held there told us about the anguish of being ripped from their lives in the United States and the fear of what comes next.” 5. HOT ON THE LEFT: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is running a very untraditional Senate campaign — with no TV ads and no clear campaign leader at the top, NOTUS’ Alex Roarty writes. She’s instead locked in on in-person local events to mobilize liberal voters, but some of her Democratic allies are worried about her approach. Her primary opponent, state Rep. James Talarico, is the subject of a big profile in WaPo up today (written by Patrick Svitek, who was among the WaPo staffers laid off last week) as all eyes watch for who will be the Democratic pick to try and flip Texas. FWIW: Crockett is up eight points over Talarico in the latest polling out today. Early voting for the March 3 primary begins on Feb. 17. A New York minute: Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is publicly throwing his support behind Micah Lasher to be his successor, potentially boosting the assemblymember in the crowded primary battle — if Nadler’s influence still packs a punch in the district, NYT’s Nicholas Fandos reports. “I think he’s the class of the field,” Nadler told NYT. 6. THE BRAVE NEW WORLD: “Trump set off a surge of AI in the federal government. See what happened,” by WaPo’s Ian Duncan and colleagues: “Orders came down from the White House budget office in April urging every corner of the government to deploy AI. … Officials across the government answered the call ... On top of automating rote tasks, government agencies have launched hundreds of artificial intelligence projects in the past year, many of them taking on central and sensitive roles in law enforcement, immigration and health care. … The 29 that had posted data last week listed 2,987 active uses for AI by the end of 2025, up from 1,684 the year before.” The future is now: “The Tech Fight Bedeviling 2028 Republicans,” by POLITICO Magazine’s Calder McHugh: “Republicans’ evolving stances on AI are offering a preview of the post-Trump debates within the party.” 7. TODAY IN LA: “Instagram, YouTube addiction trial kicks off in Los Angeles,” by Reuters’ Jody Godoy: “A California state court case over whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman's mental health through addictive app design kicks off on Monday with opening statements, in a test of whether Big Tech platforms can be held liable for harming kids. … A verdict against the tech companies could smooth the way for similar cases in state court, and shake the industry's longstanding U.S. legal defense against claims of user harm. Google, Meta, TikTok and Snap face thousands of lawsuits in California.”
| | | | A message from AHIP:  
| | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | NEWS MAKERS — WaPo is out with its second edition of “Post Next 50” — which is not an award or ranking, they write — but rather an annual list of the people likely to define this year across politics, culture and tech. Among the notable names: Kai Trump, the president’s granddaughter; Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward; Curt Mills of the American Conservative; Casey Means, Trump’s nominee for U.S. surgeon general; candidates James Talarico, Nirav Shah and Michael Whatley; NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani; Rebecca Katz of Fight Agency; and Chris Buskirk, a top MAGA ally. But the name everyone in D.C. will recognize is none other than WMATA’s Randy Clarke, dubbed by WaPo as a “transit celebrity” whose popularity has only skyrocketed. MEDIA MOVE — Katherine Koretski is joining CNN as a reporter in New York covering Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She previously worked for NBC News. TRANSITIONS — Mike Noll is joining Redpoint Advisors as its managing director for insider risk programs. Mike previously worked at the CIA. … Annie Moore and Victor Lopez recently co-founded Imperio Chaos, a public affairs and global advisory firm. Moore most recently worked at Dezenhall Resources and is a Republican State Leadership Committee alum. Lopez previously worked at the San Diego Lincoln Club. WEEKEND WEDDING — Roy Herrera, legal campaign counsel for Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and a Biden-Harris campaign alum, and Abigail O’Brien, state director for Gallego, got married on Saturday in a sunset wedding overlooking San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Pics by Carito Photography … Another pic … SPOTTED: Ruben and Sydney Gallego, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Chad Campbell, Jen Cox, Luis Heredia, Raphael Chavez-Fernandez, David Montes, Grisella Martinez, Barrett and Jennifer Marson, Mayra Macías, Jorge Neri, Oscar Ramirez, Kyle Victor, Tory Gavito, Adrian Saenz, Kristian Ramos, Sean McEnerney, Mariah Gould, Jacques Petit, Joe Wolf, Marcus and Meghaen Dell’Artino, Jason Barraza, Frank McCune, Billy Kovacs and Ian O’Grady. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Dilpreet Sidhu Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our deputy editor Garrett Ross.
| | | | New from POLITICO POLITICO Forecast is a forward-looking global briefing on the forces reshaping politics, policy and power. Drawing on POLITICO’s global reporting, Forecast connects developments across regions and sectors — including major global moments and convenings — to help readers anticipate what comes next.
➡️ Sign up for POLITICO Forecast. | | | | | | | | | Follow us on X | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Canada Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | |
