Democrats Press GOP Oversight Chair To Probe Interlochen's Epstein Links
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(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/17/2026) The House Oversight Committee could soon take up an investigation into the Interlochen Center for the Arts after Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) formally requested a probe into the school's past ties to convicted child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Tsernoglou, along with Reps. Reggie Miller (D-Belleville), Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy), Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor), Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) and Denise Mentzer (D-Mount Clemens), sent a March 12 letter to Oversight Chair Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay), urging the committee to examine what they described as disturbing connections between Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and the northern Michigan arts institution.
The request follows recent reporting and newly surfaced documents indicating Epstein had financial ties to Interlochen. He also visited the campus multiple times in the 1990s.
“We found a lot of Michigan information and the Interlochen connection and (our legislative director) has just been researching that ever since,” she said, adding that a recent NPR report “kind of confirmed a lot of the same things that we had found.”
Because Interlochen has received state funding — at least $500,000, according to the letter — Tsernoglou argued the institution falls within the committee’s oversight authority.
“We thought this was something that really needed to be looked into further, just to make sure that nothing like this could happen in the future,” she said.
Tsernoglou said she is hoping for a bipartisan investigation conducted through the committee, rather than an effort led by individual lawmakers.
Although the letter requests an update on whether they plan to open a formal investigation by Tuesday, Tsernoglou said DeBoyer indicated in their meeting on Tuesday that he would issue a formal response by this Thursday.
Asked about the request during a press conference, House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said he had not yet reviewed the letter.
“I’m not familiar with that, so I will have to look at the letter,” Hall said, “A lot of what the Democrats do up here is communicated by letters. They won’t talk to Jay or me, but we will look at it and try to understand what the connection is, and how the jurisdiction will work.”
The letter asks the committee to determine the extent of Interlochen’s awareness of Epstein’s actions and whether safeguards were in place to protect students, as well as to use its subpoena power if necessary to obtain records and testimony.
DeBoyer was not immediately available for comment at the time of publication.