Republican Censure Effort Over Epstein Connection Fails Dramatically
A contentious attempt by House Republicans to formally censure Democratic delegate Stacey Plaskett over her real-time text message exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein collapsed on the House floor on Tuesday night. The measure, which would have reprimanded Plaskett and removed her from the House Intelligence Committee, failed by a vote of 209 to 214.
Cross-Party Voting and Immediate Fallout
Three Republicans—Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lance Gooden of Texas, and Dave Joyce of Ohio—voted with all Democrats against the resolution, while three other Republicans voted present. The immediate aftermath saw heated confrontations, with Colorado representative Lauren Boebert visibly angry, wagging her finger and confronting fellow Republicans.
Shortly after the vote, Democrats withdrew a planned censure resolution against Florida Republican representative Cory Mills, who faces separate allegations of stolen valor, financial misconduct, and domestic abuse. Mills has denied all accusations.
Accusations of "Swampy" Backroom Deals
This sequence of events prompted immediate accusations of behind-the-scenes agreements. Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna raised a parliamentary inquiry, demanding House Speaker Mike Johnson explain "why leadership on both sides, both Democrat and Republican, are cutting back-end deals to cover up public corruption in the House of Representatives."
Fellow Republican Kat Cammack of Florida took to social media platform X, stating that "a handful of Republicans took a dive on a vote to strip Stacey Plaskett of her position on House intel because of her ties to Epstein. They did it to protect a Republican facing his own ethics issues." She added, "This backroom deal shit is swampy, wrong and always deserves to be called out."
The Epstein Text Messages Revealed
The controversy centres on newly released documents from a 2019 House Oversight Committee hearing with Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former attorney. The messages show Epstein was watching the proceedings and coaching Plaskett, providing information that appeared to inform her questioning.
In one exchange, first reported by the Washington Post, Epstein alerted Plaskett that Cohen had mentioned Rhona Graff, Trump's longtime executive assistant. "RONA?? Quick I'm up next is that an acronym," Plaskett replied. Epstein responded: "Thats his assistant."
The documents also reveal Epstein complimenting Plaskett's appearance during the hearing, writing "Great outfit" and "You look great." Plaskett responded "Thanks!"
In a statement, Plaskett's office said she received messages "from staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein" during the hearing. The statement emphasised her record in combating sexual assault and human trafficking and her "disgust over Epstein's deviant behaviour."
Ongoing Political Repercussions
Republican Nancy Mace of South Carolina called the situation "another backroom deal," and Axios reported she could force a vote to censure Mills, potentially stripping him of his committee assignments. This political drama underscores the deep partisan divisions and internal conflicts within the House of Representatives, with ethics controversies continuing to fuel tensions on both sides of the aisle.
