Fake RNC midterm convention website redirects to DOJ Epstein files

A fake website for the Republican National midterm convention, gopdallas2026.com, was redirecting visitors to the U.S. Department of Justice's Epstein Library on Friday.

It is unclear when the redirect first appeared or who is responsible for the creation of the alternate webpage.

The official RNC midterm convention website is gopconvention.com.

According to the internet archive Wayback Machine, the fake website includes a statement at the bottom:

"This website is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the 2026 RNC Midterm Convention, the American Airlines Center, or any official convention entity. For official convention information, please visit the appropriate official websites."

The official website is intended to provide information about the Republican Party's first-ever national convention ahead of the midterm elections, which is scheduled to take place in Dallas on Sept. 9 and 10.

The event is expected to draw about 20,000 visitors, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Republican leaders, as the party seeks to energize voters in races that will help determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress.

The fake website currently redirects users to the Justice Department's online repository of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The files have been a persistent problem for the president, who has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein's sexual abuse of girls. He and Epstein had been close, though Trump said the friendship had ended.

The president initially resisted making the files public. However, he reversed his decision last year as it became apparent that Republicans in Congress might join Democrats in forcing their release, something much of his base has demanded.

GoDaddy, which provides domain name registration, shows the fake website was registered on July 7, but the owner's name is private.

Nearly 140 other websites linked to it, including the Daily Wire news site and the New Jersey Federation of Republican Women.

At some point after that date, the site began redirecting to the Epstein files.

The DOJ database was created following the 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act, which directed the release of unclassified federal records related to the case.

NBC has reached out to Republican officials for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.