House Rejects Censure of Stacey Plaskett

The House of Representatives turned down a Republican initiative on Tuesday night that aimed to remove Democratic Representative Stacey Plaskett from her position on the House Intelligence Committee. This rejection came after a faction of Republicans sided with Democrats, leading to a vote of 209-214 against the formal censure of Plaskett, a nonvoting delegate.

This censure attempt was fueled by recently released text messages indicating that Plaskett had consulted with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing in 2019. Three Republicans—Rep. Lance Gooden from Texas, Rep. Don Bacon from Nebraska, and Rep. Dave Joyce from Ohio—joined the Democrats in voting against the resolution. Additionally, three other Republicans chose to vote present, while four did not participate in the vote.

The resolution was proposed by South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman and stemmed from newly revealed communications between Plaskett and Epstein, made public last week as part of a House Oversight Committee release. In these messages, Plaskett sought Epstein’s advice on questions to pose to former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen during a February 2019 hearing.

Some conservative Republicans expressed their frustration with those in their party who helped defeat the resolution. “I’m really tired of this bunch of losers,” remarked Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee.

Earlier this year, a small group of Republicans also defeated attempts to censure Democratic Representatives LaMonica McIver from New Jersey and Ilhan Omar from Minnesota.

In her defense, Plaskett described her interactions with Epstein, who resided in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as just a typical engagement with a “voter.” Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender since 2008, only served 13 months in county jail due to a contentious plea deal.

Plaskett asserted, “I don’t need anyone to advise me on how to interrogate anyone. I’ve been a lawyer for 30 years,” emphasizing her pursuit of truth, irrespective of the backgrounds of her informants.

She began her career in Congress in January 2015 after working for the Department of Justice. During a hearing, she responded to a mention of Trump’s former chief of staff with a rather perplexed “Rona??” after Epstein had identified himself as her assistant.

Norman and several members of conservative groups argued that Plaskett’s relationship with Epstein warranted formal reprimand from the House. He stated, “Using the opinions of sex offenders to shape questions at formal hearings is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to go unchecked.” The resolution noted that Plaskett’s ties to Epstein stood in stark contrast to the public persona she has built as a champion of justice.

Norman, who is also known for his fiscal conservatism, is actively campaigning in the crowded South Carolina gubernatorial race for the upcoming midterm elections.