Newly released documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate have revealed the convicted sex offender was apparently texting with a member of Congress during a crucial 2019 House hearing featuring Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney.
Real-Time Communication During Hearing
According to the Washington Post, documents provided to Congress this week include transcripts suggesting Epstein was in direct contact with the lawmaker as the February 2019 hearing unfolded. Although the transcripts don't explicitly name the recipient, an analysis matching message timestamps with hearing footage indicates the congresswoman was Stacey Plaskett, the US Virgin Islands' non-voting Democratic delegate.
The hearing featured Cohen delivering dramatic testimony against Trump, accusing the former president of racism, financial fraud, and directing hush-money payments to conceal extramarital affairs - allegations Trump has consistently denied.
Questioning Influenced by Epstein Messages
The released messages show Epstein texting about "RONA - keeper of the secrets," misspelling the name of Trump's former executive assistant Rhona Graff. The recipient responded: "RONA?? Quick I'm up next is that an acronym," indicating they were about to question Cohen.
When Plaskett subsequently questioned Cohen, she specifically asked about Trump associates he'd mentioned and whether there were "other people that we should be meeting with?" After Cohen identified Allen Weisselberg as Trump Organization's CFO, Plaskett interjected: "You've got to quickly give us as many names as you can so we can get to them. She is Ms Rhona, what is Ms Rhona's - ..."
Cohen then identified Rhona Graff as Trump's executive assistant, noting her office was directly next to his and she was "involved in a lot that went on."
Additional Incriminating Evidence
In another disturbing exchange during the hearing, Epstein texted: "Are you chewing." This occurred exactly one minute after television cameras showed Plaskett appearing to chew. The response came: "Not any more. Chewing interior of my mouth. Bad habit from middle school."
These messages form part of more than 20,000 pages released Wednesday that have reignited the scandal surrounding Epstein's connections to powerful figures. Democratic lawmakers argue the communications, along with three newly disclosed emails, suggest Trump may have known more about Epstein's activities than he has publicly acknowledged.
Plaskett's office didn't immediately respond to the Guardian's request for comment. Her chief of staff told the Post she was "not in a position to confirm or not" whether the congresswoman was texting with Epstein during the hearing.
Notably, Plaskett served as an impeachment manager during Trump's Senate trial in 2021 for inciting the January 6 Capitol attack, becoming the first non-voting delegate to hold such a position.
