Newly released text messages show that U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett privately referred to Jeffrey Epstein as her “friend” and shared with him non-public information about her legislative work, undercutting the House Democrat’s public claims about the nature of their relationship.
In a September 24, 2018, text message, Plaskett thanked Epstein, a longtime campaign donor and Virgin Islands resident, for his “support” and asked whether it would be “presumptuous” of her to “consider you a friend.”
“Privileged to be called friend,” Epstein replied.
Epstein was arrested ten months later on federal charges accusing him of trafficking dozens of women and underage girls for sex.
The texts were also several years after Epstein was convicted and jailed for child sex crimes.
Epstein was found dead in his jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaitin trail on sex trafficking charges.
Other messages show Plaskett providing Epstein with advance notice of government actions before they were publicly announced.
In a February 27, 2018, exchange, Plaskett informed Epstein that the Internal Revenue Service had extended a key tax benefit for Virgin Islands residents following hurricanes.
“You’re the first person I told,” Plaskett wrote.
“Don’t say anything yet.”
“Great work,” Epstein replied.
Reports have stated that Epstein saved more than $300 million in taxes through shell companies in the territory.
“Now let’s see if we can create some controls for the money we get for rebuilding,” Plaskett added.
The messages are part of roughly three million Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Taken together, they depict a far closer relationship than Plaskett has publicly acknowledged, even as she considers a potential run for Virgin Islands governor.
Plaskett currently serves as a nonvoting delegate on the House Intelligence Committee.
After earlier Epstein texts became public last fall, Plaskett sought to distance herself.
She told CNN in November:
“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 from to get at the truth.”
“I believe that Jeffrey Epstein had information, and I was going to get information,” she said.
“The truth is, having a friendship with him is not something that I would deign to have.”
The newly released messages, however, show Plaskett referring to Epstein as a “friend” just hours after visiting him at his Manhattan townhouse.
During that visit, she asked Epstein to donate again to her campaign and to contribute $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The documents also show Plaskett visiting Epstein’s private island, Little St. James, in August 2014 and again on May 18, 2019, just two months before his arrest.
She was accompanied by Erika Kellerhals, a Plaskett donor and Epstein’s longtime real-estate attorney.
Plaskett previously worked for Kellerhals’ law firm.
BREAKING: Stacey Plaskett received detailed instructions on how to reach her August 18, 2014 appointment with Jeffrey Epstein on Little Saint James.
In an email, Little Saint James barge captain Ann Rodriguez writes that she sent Plaskett instructions to report to the Saint… pic.twitter.com/iiSHpjSxL8
— Bad Hombre (@Badhombre) February 1, 2026
Additional messages show Plaskett updating Epstein on meetings with Bill Clinton, Eric Holder, and Mike Pence, as well as on communications with federal agencies.
She repeatedly alerted Epstein first about IRS decisions affecting Virgin Islands residency rules.
“Don’t say anything yet,” she wrote.
“I’m preparing a press release now.
“You’re the first person I’ve told.”
The exchanges also include personal banter.
On Plaskett’s birthday in May 2019, Epstein wrote:
“Happy birthday.”
“Thanks! How’d you know?” Plaskett replied.
“You told me when you were in my office,” Epstein said.
“You’re good!!” Plaskett answered.
“No I’m bad, but I’m thoughtful,” Epstein wrote.
After Epstein’s arrest, Plaskett said she was unaware of the allegations against him until the charges were announced, a claim disputed by prior records.
In 2016, her opponent Gordon Ackley criticized her for accepting Epstein’s donations, calling it “disgusting that our congresswoman took thousands of dollars from a convicted pedophile.”
Epstein’s financial backing proved significant early in Plaskett’s political career.
She won her first race in 2014 by just 737 votes after Epstein and his associates donated heavily at the urging of Cecile de Jongh, an Epstein office manager and the governor’s wife at the time.
“We would have a friend in Stacey,” de Jongh wrote in a June 2014 email to Epstein.
Epstein agreed to donate and encouraged employees to do the same.
Campaign records show Epstein and his network continued donating to Plaskett in 2016 and 2018, including a $2,700 contribution dated July 16, 2018.
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