Democratic Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett found herself in the hot seat during a tense CNN appearance as she faced relentless questioning about her previously hidden text exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Congressional Hearing Exchange
Newly released emails from Epstein's estate revealed that Plaskett, serving as a non-voting delegate from the US Virgin Islands, had secretly communicated with the disgraced financier during a crucial 2019 congressional hearing. The exchange occurred while former Trump attorney Michael Cohen was delivering testimony against the president, creating a dramatic backdrop to the controversial correspondence.
During Wednesday's CNN interview, journalists Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown immediately pressed Plaskett about the inappropriate communication. Brown pointedly noted that Epstein was already a 'known sex offender' at the time of their text conversation, raising serious questions about the delegate's judgement.
Plaskett's Defence Strategy
The 59-year-old member of the House Intelligence Committee offered multiple explanations for the controversial exchange. Plaskett claimed she had 'lots of people' texting her that day and described Epstein merely as one of her constituents from whom she was seeking information.
Despite text evidence showing Epstein had alerted her about one of Trump's former executive assistants, Plaskett firmly denied that the convicted sex offender had been 'directing' her questioning during the hearing. When Brown asked whether she would have questioned Cohen about the executive assistant without Epstein's input, Plaskett conceded, 'Probably not,' in a revealing admission.
Confronted about whether she regretted the correspondence given Epstein's notorious history of sexual abuse, Plaskett delivered an emotional response. 'I think Jeffrey Epstein is a reprehensible person. Absolutely disgusting,' she stated, before referencing her mother's experience with childhood sexual abuse.
Mounting Political Consequences
The CNN interview came just one day after Plaskett narrowly avoided formal censure in the House of Representatives. The vote ended 214-209 against formally reprimanding her, demonstrating how closely divided lawmakers were on the matter.
When Brown emphasised that Epstein's crimes were already public knowledge during their 2019 text exchange - having pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in 2008 and facing accusations from dozens of women - Plaskett defended her actions using her prosecutorial background.
'I've interviewed confidential informants, I've interviewed narcotics, drug traffickers and others, and that doesn't mean that I'm their friend,' she argued. 'It means that they have information that I need and that I'm trying to get at the truth.'
Despite repeated questioning about regrets, Plaskett maintained her position, simply stating, 'I'm moving forward,' while urging the American public to do the same.
The Washington Post originally uncovered the text exchange after Plaskett's name was redacted from initial email releases, with her office later confirming the report. The correspondence occurred while Epstein was a legal resident of the Virgin Islands, which Plaskett represents in Congress.
Months after the Cohen hearing, in August 2019, Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan prison cell, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation into his criminal network and those associated with it.
