Stacey Plaskett, the US Virgin Islands delegate, found herself in the hot seat on CNN this week after emails revealed she had texted Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing.
The messages surfaced from Epstein’s estate, showing communications during a session where former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified against the former president.
The revelation came shortly after Plaskett narrowly avoided censure in the House, with lawmakers voting 214-209 against formally reprimanding her.
Explaining the Exchange
On CNN, Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown pressed Plaskett about why she communicated with Epstein, who was already a convicted sex offender at the time.
Plaskett, 59, defended her actions, saying she was fielding messages from “lots of people” that day and was contacting Epstein—one of her constituents—for information.
She stressed that Epstein did not direct her questioning, despite texts suggesting he had alerted her about one of Trump’s former executive assistants.
When asked if she would have brought up the assistant without Epstein’s messages, Plaskett admitted, “Probably not.”
No Regrets, But Acknowledgment of Epstein’s Crimes
Brown asked Plaskett if she regretted communicating with Epstein given his criminal history.
Plaskett responded by acknowledging Epstein’s reprehensible behavior and shared a personal reflection on the effects of sexual abuse in her own family.
“I understand what the victims are going through, and I want them to get their relevant—justice, peace, out of this,” she said.
“Having a friendship with him is not something I would deem to have.
I’m just looking forward—I’m moving forward.”
Information Gathering vs. Friendship
Plaskett compared her interaction with Epstein to her work as a prosecutor, explaining that gathering information does not equate to friendship.
“I’ve interviewed confidential informants, I’ve interviewed narcotics traffickers and others, and that doesn’t mean that I’m their friend.
It means they have information that I need, and I’m trying to get at the truth,” she said.
She reiterated that she had no regrets about the decision, emphasizing her focus on moving forward.
Context and Aftermath
At the time of the texts, Epstein resided in the Virgin Islands.
His communications with Plaskett only came to light after her name was initially redacted from the emails.
Her office confirmed the Washington Post’s report on the exchanges.
Months after the Cohen hearing, in August 2019, Epstein died in his Manhattan jail cell, adding a final, grim chapter to the saga.
Despite the controversy, Plaskett remains a member of the House Intelligence Committee and continues her duties representing the Virgin Islands.
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