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Anyone who hopes that the forthcoming Epstein Files will mean the end of Donald Trump’s political career is sure to experience extreme disappointment in the weeks ahead. But The Files have a life of their own, and we’re still not yet entirely sure what story they’re telling us. Former Treasury secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers has already lost his New York Times column-writing gig, and just about everything else, as the Files revealed he texted Jeffrey Epstein, of all people, for dating advice. No one rushed to Summers’s side, as he’s basically out of active political life. You can’t say the same for Delegate Stacey Plaskett, who represents the US Virgin Islands in the House, who the Files have implicated…in something.
Epstein lived in The Virgin Islands, or at least had his primary residence there, so Plaskett was his congressperson. Documents from Epstein’s estate show that he and Plaskett exchanged text messages during a 2019 congressional hearing. Epstein actively coached her on how to question Michael Cohen, even sending the message “good work” when she asked a question he suggested.
To be clear: this had nothing to do with sex trafficking. But Republicans still introduced a resolution this week to censure Plaskett, saying she and Epstein had engaged in “inappropriate coordination.” In retaliation, Democrats threatened to censure Republican Cory Mills, currently accused of domestic violence and subject to a restraining order.
Republican Ralph Norman said Plaskett’s conduct “reflects discreditably on the House of Representatives,” which feels somewhat hard to do given how little credit people give the House, and that the censure would give the House Ethics Committee authority to investigate “the extent of Plaskett’s ties to Epstein and any potential further improprieties.” The measure failed, with three Republicans voting with Democrats, and three voting “present.”
Maryland’s Jamie Raskin, one of Trump’s most fervent opponents, said Plaskett merely “took a phone call from one of her constituents,” somehow neglecting to mention that said constituent was Jeffrey Epstein. But then he invoked the unholy name after all. “I don’t think it is the position of [Norman] that if we find Jeffrey Epstein on the phone with Donald Trump, that he should be impeached for it. That sounds like guilt by association.”
For her part, Plaskett said, “I don’t need to get advice on how to question anybody from any individual. I have been a lawyer for 30 years,” which in itself should be grounds for censure.
So if Trump isn’t going down with the Epstein Files ship, and Democrats refuse to turn on one of their own, who, exactly, will end up making the sacrifice, other than Larry Summers? Florida’s Anna Paulina Luna, a major backer of the Epstein Files release, asked, on the House floor, “why leadership on both sides, Democrat and Republican, are cutting back-end deals to cover up public corruption in the House of Representatives.” Good question. Colorado’s Lauren Boebert told her fellow Republicans, according to the Wall Street Journal, “This is why America hates us.” That’s not the only reason; there’s a reason why congressional approval is at an all-time low. Still, rats do have an uncommon ability to survive.
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