A measure to censure Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the Virgin Islands, failed in the House on Wednesday in a 209-214 vote.
The measure would have formally reprimanded Plaskett and removed her from the House intelligence committee over text messages with Jeffrey Epstein during a hearing questioning of former Trump fixer Michael Cohen.
Republicans Don Bacon of Nebraska, Lance Gooden of Texas and Dave Joyce of Ohio voted with all Democrats against the resolution, while three other Republicans voted present.
Plaskett, who represents the US Virgin Islands as a non-voting delegate, initially declined to return campaign contributions from Epstein after his 2019 arrest but reversed course after public criticism. She was named in a 2023 lawsuit by six Epstein accusers who alleged that Virgin Islands officials enabled his sex-trafficking operation, though the case against her was dismissed earlier this year.
In media interviews Plasket defended her contact with Epstein, saying her efforts were to seek the truth and information from Cohen.
“I’ve been a prosecutor for many years, and there are a lot of people who have information that are not your friends that you use to get information,” she added.
Immediately after the vote, Democrats withdrew a planned censure resolution against Rep. Cory Mills, a Florida Republican facing allegations of stolen valor, financial misconduct and domestic abuse. Mills has denied the accusations.
Rep. Crazy Nancy Mace headed the censure measure, but in an intraparty feud House Republican leadership derailed the effort, which would have removed Mills from the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Instead, the House voted 310-103 Wednesday night to send a rebuke of Mills to the Ethics Committee.
reports from The Guardian, Politico