The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday night on whether to censure Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands over her connection to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. The motion, led by the House Freedom Caucus, did not pass. Three Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the censure, resulting in a 209-214 vote against the measure.
The controversy began after documents from Epstein’s estate were released by the House Oversight Committee. These papers included texts showing that Epstein had sent messages to Plaskett during a congressional hearing where she was questioning Michael Cohen, former lawyer to Donald Trump. Epstein praised Plaskett’s performance in the hearing and shared details about the testimony as it unfolded. Plaskett responded in ways that suggested a friendly relationship, despite Epstein’s criminal background.
The censure attempt sought more than a formal reprimand: it aimed to remove Plaskett from the House Democratic Caucus and strip her of her seat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee handles sensitive national security matters and oversees agencies such as the FBI and CIA.
Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina who introduced the censure, said the documents raised serious concerns about Plaskett’s conduct. He called it alarming that a sitting member of Congress appeared to coordinate with a convicted sex offender during an official oversight hearing.
However, Democrats firmly opposed the move. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland argued that Plaskett did nothing illegal or unethical. He pointed out that Epstein was a resident of the Virgin Islands, making him a constituent of Plaskett’s district. Raskin said the censure was a political distraction and questioned whether any phone call with Epstein should trigger such punishment.
In the end, the effort to formally reprimand and remove Plaskett from her roles failed to gain enough support. The incident highlights ongoing tensions in Congress over ethics and accountability, especially involving figures linked to Epstein.
For now, Plaskett remains on the Intelligence Committee and in the House Democratic Caucus. The debate over her relationship with Epstein may not be over, but Tuesday’s vote showed that many lawmakers saw no reason to push further consequences at this time.
