The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a censure resolution against Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett for her communications with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lawmakers rejected a Democratic effort to refer the measure to the House Ethics Committee by a narrow 214-213 vote, with two Republicans joining Democrats to push the resolution forward. The censure could result in Plaskett’s removal from the House Intelligence Committee, following similar actions taken against Rep. Ilhan Omar last Congress.
Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina brought up the measure through a fast-track process bypassing Hill leadership and committees. It would deliver a formal rebuke of Plaskett and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee. If the measure is adopted tonight, Plaskett would be the latest House Democrat to be removed from her committee role. Republicans voted last Congress to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her past comments about Israel.
Documents released from Epstein’s estate showed the nonvoting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands texting with Epstein during a congressional hearing in 2019. The vote comes on the same day the House voted nearly unanimously to force the Justice Department to release more information about its case against Epstein.