In November 2025, newly released documents from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein revealed that Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) exchanged messages with Epstein during a February 2019 congressional hearing involving Michael Cohen. The texts showed Epstein offering advice on questioning strategy (including prompting “RONA – keeper of the secrets,” a reference to Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff) and congratulating Plaskett’s questioning with “Good work.” Plaskett’s office acknowledged Epstein as a constituent (he owned islands in the territory) but denied that he was directing her actions. A GOP-led motion to censure Plaskett and strip her from the House Intelligence Committee failed by a narrow margin.


During the floor debate on the resolution, Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) defended Plaskett by saying Republicans were effectively “arraigning a Democratic member for taking a phone call from her constituent, Jeffrey Epstein” during a hearing. He argued there was no specific House rule forbidding such contact and that the resolution was premature—“you don’t get answers by rushing to judgment and turning the whole process upside-down,” he said. Raskin thus framed Plaskett’s interaction as part of her representative role rather than evidence of wrongdoing.


to contact me:

[email protected]