Staff Reports
The newly released trove of Jeffrey Epstein documents has confirmed what every honest American feared: Epstein was not just a private monster, he was an influence machine whispering into the halls of power. According to a Washington Post analysis, text messages show Epstein exchanging messages with Delegate Stacey Plaskett during the February 2019 Michael Cohen hearing, a revelation that should set off alarm bells in every precinct and newsroom. These are not harmless chit chat between strangers; this is potential coordination while Congress was conducting oversight.
Instead of swift accountability, D.C. moved to protect one of its own. A Republican-led effort to censure Plaskett and strip her of her sensitive Intelligence Committee assignment failed on the floor of the House in a narrow vote, leaving many patriots furious that appearance and judgment mattered less than preserving political cover. The vote falling short proves what grassroots conservatives already know: the swamp will circle the wagons to keep the institutional status quo intact rather than deliver justice for victims.
The substance of the messages makes the outrage legitimate and practical, not just performative. The texts show Epstein prompting lines of questioning — even flagging names like Rhona Graff and then texting “Good work” after Plaskett’s questioning concluded — behavior that reads like coaching a live congressional proceeding. If a lawmaker took direction from a convicted sex offender while asking official questions, that is a breach of judgment so severe it demands ethics review and immediate security scrutiny.
Let us not forget the financial footnote: Epstein had given money to local politicians in the Virgin Islands and Plaskett herself accepted contributions before later saying she would donate them to charity. That 2019 reversal, reported at the time, does not erase the optics or the practical question of access bought with dirty money. America deserves representatives who don’t answer to predators or normalize communicating with them during official business.
Worse still, rank-and-file Republicans and even some GOP leaders seem willing to cut backroom deals to protect their own, trading one scandal for another so the institution can keep functioning on fumes. Conservatives in Congress rightly screamed that leadership had struck bargains to shelter multiple members from accountability, and those accusations deserve a transparent public airing. If the House will spare a lawmaker who engaged with Epstein-like behavior, what hope is there for ordinary Americans who face run-of-the-mill corruption?
Meanwhile, Congress has raced to force the Justice Department to open the vault, passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act by overwhelming margins to compel the release of the full record. That bill’s near-unanimous passage should make one demand crystal clear: if names and actions are coming to light, then every lawmaker implicated must be investigated without fear or favor. Patriots must insist on full transparency, rigorous ethics enforcement, and prosecutions where the evidence leads — because protecting power instead of victims is the true crime here.
