WASHINGTON — A Senate Finance Committee budget hearing on Wednesday turned intensely personal when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent fired back at Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), referencing the senator’s son Adam Wyden’s past business dealings with Jeffrey Epstein and his investments in a strip club chain.

The exchange escalated after Wyden criticized the Trump administration and pressed for more transparency on Epstein-related financial records. Wyden stated: “We don’t want ramblings about the most corrupt regime in history, we want facts.”

Bessent responded sharply: “We would like to hear what Adam Wyden and Jeffrey Epstein talked about. Your son’s largest investment position was Rick’s Cabaret. So, did your son and Jeffrey Epstein talk about pole dancing as he begged him for money using your limited credibility?”

The room reportedly fell silent following the remark. Bessent accused Wyden of “mendaciously slandering the Treasury building” to distract from his son’s connections.

Background on the Claims

• Epstein Meeting: Unsealed DOJ documents and emails show that in April 2016, Adam Wyden (founder of ADW Capital Management / ACM Capital) met with Epstein at his Manhattan mansion to pitch his hedge fund for investment. Adam later emailed Epstein thanking him for the meeting and expressing interest in continuing a relationship.
• Rick’s Cabaret: Reports indicate that one of Adam Wyden’s significant investment positions involved Rick’s Cabaret International, a publicly traded company operating gentlemen’s clubs.

Sen. Wyden has been vocal in pushing the Treasury Department to release more Epstein-related financial documents. He has maintained limited personal involvement in his adult children’s business affairs.

The heated moment quickly went viral, with video clips circulating widely on social media and news outlets. It highlights the deeply partisan and personal nature of current congressional oversight battles involving Epstein files and Trump-era financial policies. No further immediate response from Sen. Wyden or his office was detailed beyond the hearing exchange.