House votes against censuring Rep. Plaskett over texting Epstein during congressional hearing
The House voted 209-214-3 on Tuesday against censuring and condemning Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., and removing her from the House Intelligence Committee over texts with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Documents in the recent Epstein files release showed she was texting with Epstein while she was in the middle of a congressional hearing in 2019.
In a real-time text conversation during a consequential congressional hearing on Feb. 27, 2019, where lawmakers questioned President Donald Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, Epstein fed Plaskett, the nonvoting delegate from the US Virgin Islands, information that might be useful during her upcoming line of questioning, the files showed.
In the recently released Epstein records, Plaskett's name is redacted -- but in impassioned self-defense on the House floor Tuesday night, arguing against her censure, Plaskett confirmed the record of their exchange, while attempting to reframe its context.
She defended her decision to text with Epstein in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.
"I believed that Jeffrey Epstein had information, and I was going to get information to get at the truth," Plaskett told CNN. "Having a friendship with him is not something that I would deem to have. I'm just looking forward. I'm moving forward. I think that's what we, as American people, should do, move forward.
In response to a question about Epstein being a known sex offender at the time, Plasket told CNN, "There are a lot of people who have done a lot of crimes, and as a prosecutor, you get information from people where you can."
Plaskett defended the exchange with Epstein on Tuesday.
She said she "began to get innumerable texts from friends, from foes, from constituents about what was happening in that hearing. And I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who at the time, was my constituent, who -- was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation. And who was sharing information with me."
"Now, I heard recently from someone that I was seeking advice from him. Let me tell you something. I don't need to get advice on how to question anybody from any individual," Plaskett continued.
But according to the transcript of their text exchange released last week, Plaskett was the first to reach out to Epstein, who was then already a convicted sex offender, even before the hearing began.
She appeared to use some of the information he provided.
Records show Plaskett texted Epstein at 7:55 a.m. ET that day, saying, "He'll talk about his grades."
From their exchanges, it appeared Epstein was watching the hearing live. He texted Plaskett as the committee convened just after 10 a.m., "great outfit," and 20 minutes later, "you look great," to which Plaskett replied, "Thanks!"
"Are you chewing?" Epstein asked at 10:41 a.m. "Not anymore," was the response less than a minute later, adding, "Chewing interior of my mouth. Bad habit from middle school."
In footage from the hearing, Plaskett can be seen intermittently chewing and looking down at her desk.
As lawmakers questioned Cohen, Epstein sent his insights about the Trump Organization and its key players.
"Hes opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org," Epstein sent at 12:26 p.m. "Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn," Plaskett replied.
A couple of hours later, Plaskett's turn to question Cohen was drawing near.
"Cohen brought up RONA -- keeper of the secrets," Epstein texted at 2:24 p.m., referring to former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff. Plaskett replied, "RONA??" and less than a minute later, "quick I'm up next is that an acronym."
"Thats his assistant," Epstein replied, "Rona". A minute later, Epstein again texted: "'She called out rodger is on line 1' corroborater," the released files showed.
During her questioning of Cohen a short time later, Plaskett indeed asked about Graff.
"You have mentioned some individuals to my colleague from New York, Mr. Connolly, and also in your testimony about Mr. Weisselberg and other individuals, Ms. Rhona. Who are those individuals? Are they with The Trump Organization?" Plaskett asked Coehn during the hearing.
At 2:34 p.m., Epstein texted: "Good work," the files showed.
Epstein donations
Even before the resolution to censure Plaskett Tuesday, the White House had already seized upon her specific correspondence with, and support from, Epstein in their call to investigate Democrats' involvement with him.
"Why aren't Democrats talking about the fact that Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) solicited (and was given) $30,000 from Epstein for the DCCC after he was already a convicted sex offender?" the first bullet of a White House press release said Monday afternoon. "Or the fact that Plaskett herself accepted maxed out donations from Epstein for her own campaign? Or the fact that the wife of the former Democrat governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands told Epstein 'we would have a friend in Stacey' if he made said donations? Or the fact that Plaskett was literally texting Epstein during a committee hearing?"
Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said the White House is running with incorrect numbers, and referred to ABC News reporting from 2019 that Epstein had given $10,000 to the DCCC in 2018, but the party committee returned the donation just days later "without second thought," and that the donation was "unsolicited."
"They're just wrong with those accusations," the spokesperson said Wednesday.
Plaskett has not responded to the White House's statement.
According to an excerpt of a 2023 deposition, Plaskett said she asked Epstein in 2018 for the maximum allowable donation to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, but said she was informed that the committee would not accept it because Epstein "had not passed their vetting."
During Plaskett's House bids, one booster who wished to remain anonymous was Epstein, according to court records in a lawsuit filed in 2023 by Epstein victims against several current and former officials in the USVI, including Plaskett.
"Jeffrey, your help is needed," then-First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands Cecile de Jongh emailed in a request for Plaskett donations to Epstein on June 19, 2014, according to documents submitted by attorneys for the victims.
Her request noted that "we would have a friend in Stacey." She also asked Epstein if any of his friends might donate, which he affirmed. On Oct. 24, 2014, De Jongh emailed Epstein, "Hi Jeffrey, I am confirming with you that STC will send $13K to the Democratic Party for the benefit of Stacey Plaskett."
Plaskett received $8,100 from Epstein in the 2016 and 2018 cycles, according to FEC filings. After Epstein's indictment in 2019, she announced she would be donating the same amount to Virgin Islands organizations that work with women and children, and called for other elected officials in the Virgin Islands to return any donations from Epstein.
Plaskett has previously condemned Epstein's "reprehensible" criminal behavior. In response to the claims against her, lawyers for Plaskett wrote that she "learned of Epstein's crimes simultaneously with the rest of the country, when news of his arrest broke," according to court filings.
Earlier in 2025, a federal judge dismissed the victims' lawsuit against Plaskett and the other officials.
