The U.S. House of Representatives defeated a Republican resolution Tuesday night that sought to censure and exclude Virgin Islands Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett from the Intelligence Committee over communications she had with Jeffrey Epstein.

The resolution, introduced by Republican Ralph Norman (S.C.) of the most conservative group in the lower House - the Freedom Caucus - was defeated 209-214.

Six Republicans, three who voted against and three who voted ‘present’, helped the Democrats derail the measure.

The vote came on the same day that the Senate and lower House gave their approval to a resolution that seeks to order the release of all records of Epstein, who in July 2019-a month before he committed suicide in his jail cell, according to authorities-was indicted on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors.

Documents released by the House Investigations Committee revealed that Plaskett received tips from the convicted Epstein during the February 2019 hearing of the Federal lower chamber that discussed Donald Trump for silencing, through the payment of money, adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

At a session of the Investigations Committee in which Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, alleged how Trump concealed payments to Daniels - who has insisted she had sexual relations with the now president - Plaskett received information and comments from Epstein, who since 2008 had been convicted, after pleading guilty, in Florida, for soliciting the services of a minor for prostitution.

“I have sought information from confidential informants, from assassins, from other people because I want the truth,” Plaskett - who was a former prosecutor - said as he defended himself on the House floor.

Epstein - who had close relationships with prominent businessmen and politicians, including Trump - established his primary residence on Little Saint James, one of his two private islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Following the Plaskett vote, a Democratic resolution to censure Republican Congressman Cory Mills (Fla.), who was charged with assaulting a woman at his residence, may have been set aside. The police complaint was later dropped.

“The censure of Plaskett failed because the House leadership traded that failure for the withdrawal of a vote to censure Cory Mills and refer him to the House Ethics Committee for investigation. The system protects itself,” indicated Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.).

---

This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.