Newly released documents reveal that House Democrat Stacey Plaskett engaged in text message exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing, with Epstein providing real-time advice on questioning Michael Cohen about Donald Trump. This disclosure, first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by multiple news outlets, has sparked political scrutiny and raises questions about external influence on legislative proceedings.
On February 27, 2019, Michael Cohen, former personal attorney to Donald Trump, testified before the House Oversight Committee regarding Trump’s business practices, conflicts of interest, and alleged hush money payments to mistresses before the 2016 election. The hearing was a highly charged event, with Democrats seeking to uncover potential misconduct by the then-president. During this testimony, Epstein, who was watching the proceedings, began texting Plaskett, a non-voting delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The text messages show Epstein actively guiding Plaskett’s line of questioning. For instance, when Cohen mentioned “Rona,” Epstein texted, “Cohen brought up RONA – keeper of the secrets,” misspelling the name of Rhona Graff, Trump’s executive assistant. Plaskett responded, “RONA??” and added, “Quick I’m up next is that an acronym,” indicating she was about to question Cohen. Epstein clarified, “Thats his assistant,” and moments later, at 2:28 p.m., Plaskett began her questioning.
Plaskett incorporated Epstein’s suggestions, asking Cohen about Graff and other Trump associates like Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. She pressed Cohen to provide names quickly, saying, “You’ve got to quickly give us as many names as you can so we can get to them.” After she concluded her questioning at 2:33 p.m., Epstein texted “Good work” a minute later, underscoring his apparent satisfaction with her performance.
Plaskett’s office confirmed the text exchanges to CNN, stating that during the hearing, she received messages from “staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein.” Her spokesperson emphasized that as a former prosecutor, Plaskett welcomes information to “get at the truth” and has a record of combating sexual assault and human trafficking. However, the incident has drawn criticism due to Epstein’s criminal history and his prior campaign donations to Plaskett.
The texts were part of roughly 20,000 pages of documents released by the House Oversight Committee, which redacted Plaskett’s name, but the Washington Post identified her through analysis of the messages and hearing footage. Epstein had significant ties to the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he owned private islands linked to his sex-trafficking operations, and had donated $8,100 to Plaskett’s campaign, which she later vowed to return.
Politically, the release has intensified debates over Epstein’s connections to high-profile figures. President Trump has called for a Department of Justice investigation into Epstein’s ties, including to Democratic elites, and the DOJ has been instructed to handle the probe with “urgency and integrity.” The House is expected to vote on a bill to compel the release of all Justice Department files on Epstein, highlighting ongoing efforts to uncover the full scope of his network.
This event underscores the complex interplay between politics, justice, and media in high-stakes investigations, with implications for transparency and accountability in government. It may influence public perception of congressional integrity and fuel further investigations into Epstein’s associates.
