Plaskett’s Admission Regarding Epstein
Stacey Plaskett, a Democratic representative from the Virgin Islands, acknowledged on Wednesday that her aim was to reach out to known sex offenders in an effort to tarnish President Donald Trump’s reputation. This revelation follows the release of documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, including text messages exchanged between Plaskett and Epstein just before he sought to question former Trump attorney Michael Cohen during his testimony in February 2019.
During an appearance on “The Situation Room,” Plaskett noted that, despite Epstein’s criminal history, she was focused on extracting information about Trump. She stated, “I believe Jeffrey Epstein had information, and I was trying to get information too—to know the truth.” She expressed her anticipation for the information and emphasized the need for progress, mentioning that if an individual isn’t engaged in illegal activity, Americans need to proceed forward.
When CNN host Pamela Brown challenged her, asking, “What’s the point? He was a known sex offender, and all of his sexual abuse was detailed,” Plaskett responded by suggesting that she suspected Trump might also be involved in criminal conduct and felt it was necessary to gather that information.
Plaskett further stated, “There are many people like that. I have committed many crimes. And as a prosecutor, you get as much information from people as possible.” Prior to questioning, Epstein had shared details about the Trump Organization with her, including the name of Lorna Graf, a longtime aide to Trump.
Epstein even commented on Graf’s outfit during the hearing, asking her professional questions. Plaskett’s office clarified that she received messages from various contacts during the hearing, which included staff and constituents, while also highlighting her prior work on issues of sexual assault and human trafficking.
Notably, Epstein owned two private islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands and had made donations to several politicians, including Plaskett. Initially hesitant to return the donations, Plaskett eventually felt pressured to do so.
On Wednesday, a group of Republicans introduced a resolution to censure Plaskett over her communications with Epstein, but it ultimately failed by a narrow margin of 209-214.
