Democrats are now in a damage control mode, as it has been revealed that Del. Stacey Plaskett was exchanging real-time text messages with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a crucial Feb. 2019 congressional hearing.
The hearing featured testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, as part of one of the Democrats’ witch hunts into President Trump.
The revelations have sparked outrage and raised serious questions about Plaskett’s judgment and connections to the disgraced financier, and not to mention Epstein’s deep ties to the Democratic Party.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released thousands of pages of Epstein’s emails and messages on Wednesday, and they show how closely he followed Michael Cohen’s comments about Donald Trump. Epstein treated Cohen’s testimony as valuable insight into Trump, whom he clearly disliked.
The Washington Post uncovered Plaskett’s identity by matching timestamps on the texts with video footage from the hearing, even though the name was redacted in the documents.
The newly released documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate show that the convicted sex offender texted with a Democratic member of Congress, Del. Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands, during a congressional hearing with Michael Cohen, and that those text messages may have influenced the congresswoman’s questions of Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer.
In the texts, Epstein appeared to be watching the February 2019 hearing in real time and at one point informed Plaskett — whose name is redacted from the documents — that Cohen had brought up former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff in his testimony. At the time, Cohen was testifying before the House Oversight Committee against his former boss, alleging that Trump was racist, manipulated financial records and directed hush money payments to cover up his extramarital affairs — allegations Trump denied. The president said on social media that Cohen was “lying” before testimony began.
The exchanges paint a disturbing picture of coordination between Epstein and the Virgin Islands delegate. Epstein texted about “RONA,” referring to Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff, prompting Plaskett to respond “RONA??” and “Quick I’m up next is that an acronym.”
Epstein clarified, “Thats his assistant,” and Plaskett proceeded to question Cohen about Graff. After her questioning, Epstein texted “Good work.”
The messages weren’t limited to the hearing strategy. At 10:02 a.m., Epstein texted “Great outfit,” followed by “You look great” at 10:22 a.m. Plaskett replied “Thanks!” shortly after. Then, at 10:41 a.m., Epstein sent “Are you chewing,” apparently noticing her on the broadcast feed. Plaskett responded “Not any more” and explained, “Chewing interior of my mouth. Bad habit from middle school.” Later, Epstein asked “How much longer for you,” to which Plaskett replied “Hours. Go to other mtgs.”
These revelations are even more troubling when you consider the timeline. The texts occurred well after Epstein’s criminal history was widely known. He had pleaded guilty in 2008 to two state felony offenses in Florida related to solicitation of prostitution, including with a minor, and served 13 months under a controversial plea arrangement. By Feb. 2019, when Plaskett was texting with him, Epstein was a registered sex offender.
Related: Epstein Emails Expose Deep Ties to Obama’s White House Legal Counsel
Plaskett represents the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein’s notorious island, Little St. James, is located. After his arrest in July 2019, Plaskett’s office initially said she was unlikely to return the campaign donations, only reversing course after public backlash.
It sure does make sense why Democrats were angry when Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released all the documents now, doesn't it?
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