Democratic Del. Stacey Plaskett is facing censure after it was uncovered that she texted Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing. (Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images ; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"Are we saying just because they were on a phone call, they're guilty of something? We should strip them of their committee assignments. We should censure them. Have we gotten to that point? I mean, come on," he continued. "Look, this is the House of Representatives. The United States of America. Let's stick by the Constitution. Let's stick by due process."
The White House's Rapid Response team quickly shot back at Raskin on social media, posting a clip of his remarks that they described as "sick." Raskin's defense, while novel, was not alone, however. Several Democrats spoke from the House floor in defense of the congressional delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday, railing against Democrats for "besmirch[ing]" their colleague.
"Jamie Raskin — one of the worst to ever disgrace the halls of Congress — says Stacey Plaskett was just ‘taking a phone call from her constituent’ when she colluded with a convicted sex offender during a committee hearing," the White House Rapid Response team said in response. "These people are SICK!"
Meanwhile, independent journalist Lee Fang, who was formerly with The Intercept, called Raskin's comments "incredibly dishonest," noting that court filings revealed Plaskett had much closer ties to Epstein than the average constituent.
"Just incredibly dishonest. Plaskett helped Epstein while serving in the Virgin Islands gov w/ tax credits, went on to work directly for Epstein's fixer, then received lavish campaign support from Epstein and his aides to clinch her election victory," Fang said in response to Raskin's comments.
EPSTEIN REFERENCED TRUMP IN PRIVATE EMAILS TO GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND OTHERS, NEW RECORDS SHOW
Rep Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was at the forefront of Democrats' defense of U.S. Virgin Islands congressional delegate, Stacey Plaskett, on Tuesday after Republicans tried to censure her for texting Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 during a hearing regarding Donald Trump. (Getty/ AP)
Plaskett, defended by Raskin and others on the House floor, also stood up and defended herself, arguing there was no "public knowledge at that time" Epstein was under federal investigation despite
"I began to get innumerable texts from friends, from foes, from constituents about what was happening in that hearing. And I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who, at the time, was my constituent, who there was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation," Plaskett said Tuesday after news of her hearing texts went viral.
"I heard recently from someone that I was taking advice from him," Plaskett added in her defense from the House floor Tuesday. "Let me tell you something. I don't need to get advice on how to question anybody from any individual. I have been a lawyer for 30 years."
The resolution to censure Plaskett and strip her of her duties failed Tuesday night in a House vote.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-dem-slammed-sick-defense-colleague-caught-texting-epstein-during-2019-hearing