Rep. Jasmine Crockett Defends Stacey Plaskett Over Epstein Texts
During an appearance on CNN Wednesday night, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, came to the defense of Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, amid revelations about her text exchanges with registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Plaskett managed to avoid a House censure concerning these messages, which surfaced from Epstein, who was found dead in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. A resolution for her condemnation fell short with a vote of 214-209, influenced by Republican Rep. Cory Mills from Florida. In the earlier segment with Plaskett, Crockett contradicted comments made by “The Situation Room” host Pamela Brown.
“I’m not implying that,” Crockett stated to “The Source” host Caitlan Collins. “This is a former prosecutor. I haven’t gone over all the reasons why Stacey was in contact with Epstein.” He added, “When she spoke, she mentioned being one of her constituents. Typically, prosecutors communicate with co-defendants or individuals with crucial information. Epstein suggested he had a friendly relationship with the president.”
Crockett continued, “Regardless of his status as a registered sex offender, he had valuable information. The real concern is why the president maintained a friendly rapport with Epstein even after his convictions. There’s evidence that he was on the same flight, and we can’t overlook the birthday card issue. Why is the president not central to this discussion? Instead, we’re questioning why she got the text and contemplating committee reassignments.”
On “The Situation Room,” Brown pressed Plaskett about the start of her communication with Epstein. “You initiated this text exchange at 7:55 AM,” Brown pointed out. “What prompted you to contact Epstein, especially given his history?”
Crockett also faced criticism for inaccurately claiming during a House debate that EPA Director Lee Zeldin had received political donations from Epstein. He had an exchange with host Jake Tapper on a previous CNN show after promising not to address the topic further.
