The late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein texted compliments and advice to a Democrat member of Congress while she questioned President Donald Trump’s former attorney in a February 2019 hearing, newly released documents reveal.
Thousands of pages of emails, texts, and other documents from Epstein’s estate were released last Wednesday by the House Oversight Committee, uncovering shocking communication between the convicted predator and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D) of the U.S. Virgin Islands as she prepared to question Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-lawyer-turned-critic.
Epstein appeared to be watching the congressional hearing in real time, texting Plaskett that she looked “great” and informing her that Cohen referred to Trump’s former assistant, Rhona Graff, while he testified against his former boss.
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“Cohen brought up RONA — keeper of the secrets,” Epstein wrote, misspelling Graff’s name.
“RONA??” the delegate replied. “Quick I’m up next is that an acronym.”
Epstein clarified, “Thats his assistant.”
While Plaskett’s name was redacted in the documents, the Washington Post confirmed it was her through matching the messages’ content and time stamps with footage of the hearing.
Before the hearing started, Plaskett texted Epstein, “He’ll talk about his grades,” apparently referring to Cohen.
Epstein, “what privilege stands behind the none release of college transcripts?”
“Great outfit,” he texted again, as he watched the hearing around 10:00 a.m. “You look great,” he added 20 minutes later.
Plaskett replied, “Thanks!”
At around 10:40 a.m., Plaskett could be seen on the broadcast feed moving her mouth like she was chewing, the Washington Post reported.
“Are you chewing,” Epstein wrote.
“Not any more. Chewing interior of my mouth. Bad habit from middle school,” she answered.
About two hours later, Epstein asked Plaskett when it was going to be her turn to question Cohen.
“How much longer for you,” he wrote.
She replied, “Hours. Go to other mtgs.”
“Hes opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org,” Epstein texted Plaskett, referring to Cohen.
“Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn,” the delegate replied.
Just before she began questioning the former Trump lawyer around 2:30 p.m., Plaskett sent, “Quick I’m up next.”
When she questioned Cohen, she asked about the Trump assistant who Epstein had brought up earlier.
Are there other people that we should be meeting with?” she asked.
“So, Allen Weisselberg is the chief financial officer in The Trump Organization,” the attorney began to answer, before Plaskett interjected and brought up Rhona Graff.
“You’ve got to quickly give us as many names as you can so we can get to them. Is Ms. Rhona, what is Ms. Rhona’s— …?” she asked.
Cohen replied, “Rhona Graff is the — Mr. Trump’s executive assistant … She was — her office is directly next to his, and she’s involved in a lot that went on.”
One minute after Plaskett’s questioning was over, Epstein texted her, “Good work.”
Plaskett, a nonvoting member of Congress, received thousands of dollars from Epstein in campaign contributions during the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, years after he was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution in 2008.
Epstein owned a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little Saint James, from 1998 until his death in 2019.
After Epstein was charged with federal sex trafficking crimes in July 2019, Plaskett was met with backlash after she initially said she would keep the campaign donations before reversing her decision, saying she would instead “make contributions to Virgin Islands organizations that work with women and children in the amount of his previous contributions.”
The Washington Post also noted that six Epstein accusers sued U.S. Virgin Islands officials, including Plaskett, “alleging that they helped and benefited from Epstein’s sex-trafficking enterprise in the U.S. territory.”
“The lawsuit against Plaskett was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice earlier this year,” the outlet reported.
Plaskett’s office brushed off the texts in a statement to the outlet after the story was published.
“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,” her office said. “As a former prosecutor she welcomes information that helps her get at the truth and took on the GOP that was trying to bury the truth. The congresswoman has previously made clear her long record combating sexual assault and human trafficking, her disgust over Epstein’s deviant behavior and her support for his victims.”
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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