Three Republicans voted with Democrats on Tuesday to reject a motion to censure the Democratic nonvoting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Stacey Plaskett, over her exchange of text messages with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing.
Why It Matters
The defeat of the Republican effort to punish Plaskett came shortly after most members of both the House and Senate voted to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release more files on its case against Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in August 2019 at age 66 in a New York City jail cell.
Revelations that Epstein messaged Plaskett during Michael Cohen’s 2019 House Oversight Committee testimony, unearthed in newly released documents from Epstein’s estate, shed new light on the sex offender’s potential extent of influence over politicians.
President Donald Trump has dismissed the Epstein scandal as a Democratic “hoax.”
What To Know
The motion to formally reprimand Plaskett and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee, “for conduct that reflects discreditably on the House of Representatives for colluding with convicted felony sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing,” was defeated in a vote, 214 to 209.
Three House Republicans—Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lance Gooden of Texas and Dave Joyce of Ohio—voted with all Democrats against the measure.
The messages do not show Plaskett engaged in wrongdoing and she denied any improper behavior in a speech to the House on Tuesday.
She acknowledged an exchange of messages with Epstein, saying that he was a constituent and her contact was limited to information-gathering, and that the federal investigation of the sex offender was not public information at the time, Politico reported.
The unearthed messages suggest Epstein may have attempted in real time to draw Plaskett’s attention to some remarks delivered by Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and “fixer.”
Epstein, who had been a sex offender since 2008, appeared to be monitoring the hearing closely and commenting as Plaskett prepared to question Cohen.
In the texts, Epstein highlighted Cohen’s mention of former Trump aide Rhona Graff, calling her the “keeper of the secrets.” Minutes later, the recipient of Epstein’s messages, who was not identified in the document, wrote, “Quick I’m up next,” just before beginning her questioning.
Epstein responded with “Good work,” shortly after the lawmaker finished.
Epstein died in federal custody six months after the hearing and a month after being charged with sex-trafficking minors. The newly released documents add fresh detail to the vast public record of his ties to influential political and business figures.
What People Are Saying
Republican Representative Ralph Norman, who introduced the censure motion, in a statement before the vote: “No one who turns to a convicted predator for input on how to conduct official business, especially in a congressional hearing, should sit on the Intelligence Committee or any committee, for that matter. This is about restoring trust in an institution that desperately needs it.”
What Happens Next
The Epstein Files Transparency Act is heading to Trump’s desk for his signature. The president has said he would sign the bill.