Stacey Plaskett, the Democrat Delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, is now under intense scrutiny following the bombshell revelation that she was allegedly in real-time communication with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a congressional hearing. According to investigative reporting by The Washington Post and confirmed by The Guardian, transcripts from Epstein’s estate suggest a disturbing coordination between the disgraced financier and a sitting member of Congress during a February 2019 hearing targeting President Trump.
This stunning revelation comes from documents that include real-time text exchanges believed to be between Epstein and Plaskett as she participated in the House Oversight Committee’s questioning of Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen. Epstein’s messages appear to have influenced her line of questioning, raising questions about compromised oversight and corrupt backroom dealings.
The analysis that identified Plaskett as Epstein’s contact was conducted by matching timestamps from the texts to video footage of the hearing. The implications are damning. When Epstein texted, “Cohen brought up RONA – keeper of the secrets,” the unnamed recipient, presumably Plaskett, replied, “RONA?? Quick I’m up next is that an acronym,” clearly indicating they were preparing to speak.
When Plaskett finally questioned Cohen, she zeroed in on Rhona Graff, President Trump’s executive assistant, just as Epstein had suggested. “She is Ms. Rhona, what is Ms. Rhona’s…” Plaskett asked. Cohen responded, “Rhona Graff is Mr. Trump’s executive assistant…her office is directly next to his.”
This connection is more than troubling. It is an unprecedented breach of public trust and a flagrant violation of ethical standards. For a member of Congress to potentially receive directives from Epstein during a hearing meant to investigate President Trump is to erode the very fabric of legislative integrity.
Plaskett’s office has not denied the allegation. When contacted, her chief of staff merely stated she was “not in a position to confirm or not” whether the lawmaker had been texting with Epstein. That non-answer speaks volumes. In politics, refusal to deny is often the first stage of damage control.
The American people deserve answers. This wasn’t just a matter of poor judgment. This was a potential manipulation of federal oversight proceedings by a known child sex trafficker. The left-wing media and Democratic elites, who love to crow about transparency and justice, are eerily silent.
This same Plaskett was later appointed as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial. If her judgment was compromised during the Cohen hearing, how can the nation trust her role in a process that sought to convict a sitting President?
It is no exaggeration to say that this revelation should spark a congressional investigation of its own. If this were a Republican linked to Epstein in this manner, the liberal media would be calling for resignation, prosecution, and exile. Instead, we hear crickets.
What makes this more disturbing is the history Epstein had with other powerful Democrats, including Bill Clinton and others within the liberal establishment. That his influence may have extended into manipulating congressional hearings should send chills down every American’s spine.
These findings also reveal how deeply compromised the Democrats have become. They are not the party of working-class Americans. They are the party of hidden agendas, elitist coverups, and corruption cloaked in the language of virtue.
Democrats have spent years trying to paint President Trump as beholden to dark money and foreign powers. Yet here we see one of their own potentially being steered in real time by a convicted predator. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
The facts in the transcript speak for themselves. Epstein asked, “Are you chewing?” Moments later, the hearing feed cuts to Plaskett chewing her mouth. She replied, “Not anymore. Chewing interior of my mouth. Bad habit from middle school.” The timing confirms the damning overlap.
How could a sex trafficker have this level of access to a federal lawmaker during official proceedings? How does someone like Epstein even feel entitled to speak so casually to a member of Congress unless that connection was longstanding?
This debacle is not just about Stacey Plaskett. It is a window into the murky alliances that govern the Democratic machine. Epstein may be dead, but his reach into political power structures clearly lived on far longer than most would dare admit.
House Republicans must act. Investigations should be opened immediately. Subpoenas should be issued. The public has a right to know how deep Epstein’s connections went. Were others compromised? Were hearings tainted? The credibility of congressional oversight is at stake.
This scandal also highlights the glaring double standard in media coverage. If a GOP representative had engaged in this behavior, there would be breathless coverage on every network. But since it’s a Democrat, we get vague denials and buried leads.
President Trump faced relentless investigations, impeachments, and character assassinations over manufactured narratives. Meanwhile, Democrats like Plaskett allegedly conspired with one of the most reviled criminals in modern memory and received nothing but media cover.
The American people are not stupid. They see the two-tier justice system. They see the bias. And they are fed up with it. Accountability can’t wait any longer.
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the administration is exploring the possibility of providing $2,000 dividend checks to every American due to record increases in tariff revenue.
“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price,” the president posted on Truth Social.
“401k’s are Highest EVER. We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place,” he continued. “A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
U.S. tariff revenue for the fiscal year 2025, which ended on September 30, totaled $195 billion, marking a more than 250 percent increase from the previous year.
This accounted for the the highest annual collection in modern history, driven by President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on imports from dozens of trading partners including China. The tariffs were implemented under executive authority such as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), while the Supreme Court is currently weighing a decision that could curb the president’s ability to levy tariffs.
This figure encompasses duties collected through September, with monthly revenues climbing from $7 billion in January to $30 billion by September.
In an August 26 interview, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted that tariff revenue could surge to $300 billion annually as more trade deals are finalized. “We had a substantial jump from July to August, and I think we’re going to see a bigger jump from August to September. So I think we could be on our way well over half a trillion, maybe towards a trillion-dollar number,” he said of the fiscal year 2026.
In addition, this could not be done without Congress, as direct payments to citizens constitute federal spending that requires legislative authorization and appropriation under the US Constitution’s Appropriations Clause, preventing the executive branch from unilaterally disbursing tariff revenues. Such revenues flow into the general Treasury, meaning that targeted rebates or dividends without a specific law, similar to how stimulus checks in prior years needed statutory approval despite emergency declarations.