Jeffrey Epstein’s newly released estate documents reveal he was texting Stacey Plaskett, the Democrat nonvoting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, during a 2019 congressional hearing with President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.  The texts indicate Epstein, a convicted sex offender since 2008, was watching the hearing live, texting Plaskett before she questioned Cohen. Cohen was testifying against Trump before the House Oversight Committee, claiming his former employer “was racist, manipulated financial records and directed hush money payments to cover up his extramarital affairs,” all allegations of which Trump denied, according to The Washington Post. One of Epstein’s texts to Plaskett was about Cohen mentioning Rhona Graff, Trump’s former executive assistant, during his testimony. “Cohen brought up RONA – keeper of the secrets,” Epstein texted to Plaskett, misspelling Graff’s first name as he did so. “RONA?? Quick I’m up next is that an acronym,” Plaskett responded to Epstein, indicating she would be questioning Cohen soon. “Thats his assistant,” Epstein told her. Shortly after Plaskett concluded her questioning of Cohen, Epstein texted her, “Good work.” Some of Epstein’s other messages to Plaskett during the hearing included asking her if she was chewing something to which Plaskett said she was just chewing the inside of her mouth, a habit she had.  Epstein told Plaskett, “You look great,” early on in the hearing. She replied “Thanks!” According to the Post, some of “the text messages indicate Epstein may have influenced what questions to ask Cohen.” “Hes [Cohen] opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org,” Epstein texted Plaskett as she continued to wait her turn to question Cohen. “Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn,” Plaskett told Epstein. During Plaskett’s questioning of Cohen, she did ask him about “Trump associates that he had mentioned previously,” like Graff, according to the Post.  “Rhona Graff… Mr. Trump’s executive assistant… Her office is directly next to his, and she’s involved in a lot that went on [regarding the alleged manipulation of financial records, hush money, etc.],” Cohen told Plaskett during the hearing.  The text message copies were included in the thousands of document pages containing Epstein’s communications which the House Oversight Committee released Wednesday. While Plaskett’s name is redacted from the estate documents, the text messages’ time stamps align with the hearing video and the subject matter, indicating Plaskett is the person who Epstein was texting, the Post explained. Plaskett initially declined to answer the Post’s questions about the Epstein texts, but as the New York Post reported, her office released a statement Friday night. “During the hearing, Congresswoman Plaskett received texts from staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein,” the statement read. “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. 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.” Plaskett and Epstein Had History However, Plaskett has a history with Epstein going back to her time in the Virgin Islands’ government.Plaskett received a total of $8,100 in campaign donations from Epstein in 2014, 2016, and 2018, the New York Post reported, the maximum allowed. This was years after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution. She also personally solicited from Epstein at his New York home a $30,000 donation to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Further, from 2007 to 2012, Plaskett was general counsel to the Virgin Islands Economic Development Commission. Reuters reported that 2023 court filings show this government agency gave Epstein’s companies $219.8 million in tax breaks between 1999 and 2012. A lawsuit filed by six of Epstein’s alleged victims against numerous Virgin Island officials, including Plaskett, for helping facilitate Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation was voluntarily dismissed in August. Epstein was arrested again in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy. One month later, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell. The post The Curious Connection Between Jeffrey Epstein and Dem Congresswoman appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Washington’s latest fights make one thing unmistakable: Democrats shift their arguments as needed, but always in service of higher taxes, higher spending, and a bigger federal footprint. When the question earlier this year was whether to keep current tax policy and avoid a massive tax hike, Democrats fought against keeping current policy.Now, after forcing a government shutdown, they claim they must preserve current — but temporary — Obamacare subsidies. Two opposite stances, one consistent goal: bigger government.On taxes, ‘current policy’ doesn’t count. On spending, ‘current policy’ functions like holy writ.Earlier this year, Congress faced a hard deadline. Lawmakers had to choose between extending the 2017 American Job Creation Act tax rates or letting them snap back to pre-2017 levels — a $4 trillion tax increase across income brackets. Republicans pushed to retain the lower rates. Democrats pushed for the tax hike.Democrats insisted the looming deadline was Republicans’ fault and said the surge in revenue would help slow growth in deficits and debt. Republicans ultimately prevailed and passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Democrats erupted.We all know what happened next. Less than three months later, Congress approached the September 30 deadline for annual appropriations. With negotiations still incomplete, Republicans advanced a clean, short-term extension to keep the government open. The House passed it. President Trump signaled he would sign it. Senate Democrats filibustered it.Republicans tried over a dozen times to reopen the government. Senate Democrats blocked them every time — until this week. Their central demand: extend the temporary “emergency” premium subsidies that Democrats expanded during the pandemic. Those subsidies, scheduled to expire, broadened eligibility beyond 400% of the federal poverty line and boosted benefits for those below it. Democrats already extended them once through 2025.Now, with the pandemic long over — President Biden signed the resolution ending it on April 10, 2023 — Senate Democrats want the emergency expansions made permanent.The inconsistency could not be clearer.When expiring tax law meant taxes would rise, Democrats described preventing that increase as a tax cut — even though extending the law simply kept existing policy in place. The fact that the policy had been the law for eight years meant nothing.But when expiring pandemic-era subsidies would return Obamacare to its original structure, Democrats suddenly insist that current policy must prevail. They now treat temporary emergency expansions — linked explicitly to COVID, extended once already, disproportionately benefiting upper-income households — as untouchable programs that must become permanent.On taxes, “current policy” doesn’t count. On spending, “current policy” functions like holy writ.RELATED: Trump officially ends ‘pathetic’ Democrats’ record-breaking shutdown Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe reasoning shifts, but the outcome never does: Democrats always land on whatever argument leads to more government. Their broader shutdown demands confirm it — ending Medicaid reforms and restoring spending levels President Trump and Republicans reduced. Every item points in the same direction: more federal dollars out the door.Democrats note that Republicans, too, support keeping some expiring policies. True. Which makes the underlying purpose even more important to identify.Republicans fought to maintain 2017 tax levels so Americans could keep more of what they earn — and keep that income out of Washington’s hands. Democrats want permanent expansion of Obamacare subsidies to preserve and grow benefits for people who were never intended to receive them, locking in a larger federal role.Future fights will come; today’s climate guarantees them. One more thing is just as guaranteed: Democrats’ arguments will continue to change as needed, and their demands for higher taxes, higher spending, and a larger federal government will not.

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