Newly released documents show a House Democrat getting real-time coaching from none other than Jeffrey Epstein during a high-stakes congressional hearing targeting President Trump.
The New York Post reported that shocking records revealed that Rep. Stacey Plaskett was fed questions and commentary by Epstein during a February 27, 2019, House Oversight Committee session where Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, testified about alleged hush money payments tied to the 2016 campaign.
Let’s rewind to that day in 2019 when the Oversight Committee was buzzing with Cohen’s explosive claims about payments to silence stories damaging to Trump.
Plaskett, representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, was gearing up to grill Cohen. Little did anyone know, she had a controversial figure in her corner—Epstein, a man already convicted on state prostitution charges at the time.
According to some 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate, released by the House Oversight Committee, the disgraced financier was texting Plaskett as the hearing unfolded. He wasn’t just offering moral support—he was shaping her line of inquiry.
Epstein fired off messages like, “Hes opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org,” clearly nudging Plaskett to dig deeper into Trump’s associates.
Plaskett responded with, “Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn,” showing she was not just listening but actively engaging with his prompts.
By 2:28 p.m., Plaskett took her turn questioning Cohen, zeroing in on names like Rhona Graff, Trump’s former executive assistant, just as Epstein had suggested.
She pressed for details on other Trump Organization figures, clearly following the script laid out in those texts. Isn’t it curious how a man like Epstein, with his own legal baggage, had such a front-row seat to congressional strategy?
Just a minute after Plaskett wrapped up at 2:34 p.m., Epstein texted her, “Good work,” as if he were grading a performance. That pat on the back raises eyebrows—why was a figure with Epstein’s notorious history so invested in this political takedown?
Though the documents redacted Plaskett’s name, sharp analysis by the Washington Post, paired with hearing footage, confirmed her as Epstein’s correspondent.
This wasn’t a random exchange; it was a coordinated effort during a public proceeding meant to hold power to account. How does this square with the integrity of such hearings?
Epstein’s ties to the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he owned two private islands identified as hubs for his later-charged sex trafficking operations, add another layer of unease to his involvement with Plaskett.
While there’s no evidence of deeper collusion here, the optics of a lawmaker texting with a man of his reputation during a hearing are, frankly, abysmal.
Plaskett initially stayed silent when the story broke, but her office later confirmed the contact, framing it as one of many messages she received that day.
Their statement noted, “During the hearing, Congresswoman Plaskett received texts from staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein." Equating Epstein’s input to random public feedback feels like a stretch—most constituents aren’t convicted felons with a personal vendetta.
Her office also highlighted Plaskett’s record against sexual assault and trafficking, expressing her disgust with Epstein’s actions and support for his victims. That’s commendable, but it doesn’t erase the question of why she entertained his input in the first place. Actions speak louder than after-the-fact statements.
Adding fuel to the fire, Plaskett had previously accepted campaign donations from Epstein, only returning $8,100 in July 2019 after public pressure following his later sex trafficking charges.
Keeping the funds initially, then backtracking, doesn’t exactly scream principled consistency. Shouldn’t lawmakers draw a harder line with such tainted contributions?
This week, President Trump urged the Department of Justice to probe Epstein’s connections to Democratic figures and financial institutions like JP Morgan Chase. It’s a fair call—sunlight is the best disinfectant when it comes to untangling these murky relationships. The public deserves to know how deep these ties run.
