WASHINGTON – The House voted down a Republican-led effort Tuesday to censure Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) and yank her from the chamber’s powerful Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence over revelations she texted late sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
The resolution failed in a 209-214 vote, with all Democrats and three Republicans – Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lance Gooden of Texas and David Joyce of Ohio – voting against the censure.
Three additional Republican members – Reps. Andrew Garbarino of New York, Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania and Jay Obernolte of California – voted present.
Hours earlier, the House rejected a Democratic effort to refer the censure resolution to the House Ethics Committee for consideration, with 213 in favor of the motion and 214 opposed, paving the way for consideration of the censure bid later this week.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) had rolled out the resolution to censure Plaskett in the wake of revelations that she texted Epstein in February 2019 to dig up dirt on President Trump.
“The House failed to pass my censure of Dem. Stacey Plaskett, a sitting member of Congress who took direction from Epstein in the middle of a 2019 Oversight Committee hearing,” Norman wrote on X after the vote.
“This is the problem in Washington!!” he fumed. “The establishment protects ITSELF, and the American people get pushed ASIDE.”
“What happened to accountability?”
Norman made his censure bid a privileged resolution, which means it must be voted on within two legislative days. A privileged motion allows a lawmaker to bypass leadership and committee rules to fast-track consideration.
“Jeffrey Epstein was a predator who exploited minors. The idea that any Member of Congress would coordinate with him on official proceedings is beyond comprehension,” Norman said.
“This was not casual contact. These were deliberate communications that shaped part of a hearing designed to attack President Trump. It raises serious questions about judgment, integrity, and fitness to serve.”
The Post reached out to Plaskett’s office for comment.
Last week, the House Oversight Committee released a batch of Epstein files from the late sex predator’s estate.
Among the documents was an email showing Plaskett texting Epstein during a hearing with Trump’s former lawyer and fixer-turned adversary, Michael Cohen.
During that hearing, Epstein encouraged her to ask Cohen about the president’s former executive assistant.
“Good work,” Cohen texted her afterwards, the Washington Post first reported.
“Delegate Plaskett’s willingness to receive instructions on official congressional proceedings from Epstein, a convicted felony sex offender with deeply concerning international associations, is especially alarming and inappropriate given her own past service in the U.S. Department of Justice and her current role on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” Norman’s resolution said.
“[It] raises serious questions about Delegate Plaskett’s judgment, integrity, and fitness to serve.”
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Norman’s resolution also calls for the House Ethics Committee to investigate Plaskett.
Epstein had previously contributed to Plaskett’s campaign. Infamously, Epstein had a private island in the Virgin Islands, where many of his sex offenses took place. Plaskett later claimed to have donated the contributions she got from Epstein.
“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,” Plaskett’s spokesperson told The Washington Post.
“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.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the House voted on legislation to compel the Justice Department to publicly release files on Epstein.
