Summary
Three Republicans joined Democrats to stop a motion to censure Stacey Plaskett, a delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, due to her text exchanges with Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing. The defeated motion aimed to reprimand Plaskett over claims she communicated with Epstein, a convicted sex offender, who tried to influence the hearing. President Trump called the Epstein issue a Democratic "hoax."
Key Facts
- Three Republicans and all Democrats voted against censuring Stacey Plaskett.
- The vote to censure Plaskett failed with 214 votes against and 209 in favor.
- Documents revealed that Epstein texted Plaskett during a 2019 hearing where Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, testified.
- Plaskett admitted to exchanging messages with Epstein, describing it as limited to gathering information.
- Epstein, a convicted sex offender since 2008, died in jail in August 2019.
- A proposed act, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, will require the Department of Justice to release more files on Epstein and is expected to be signed by President Trump.
- Epstein's texts attempted to influence Plaskett's questioning during the hearing by highlighting remarks made about Rhona Graff, a former Trump aide.
