Hakeem Jeffries Denies Talking to Stacey Plaskett About Epstein Texts — Only to Admit He Did Seconds Later

Hakeem Jeffries is asked if he’s spoken to Plaskett about the Epstein text controversy.

Simple question, but he has one helluva time settling on an answer. pic.twitter.com/hju1RfplCi

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) November 19, 2025

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took a further grilling over whether he had spoken to Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) about revelations she’d texted Jeffrey Epstein in real-time during Michael Cohen’s 2019 Congressional testimony, repeatedly saying he hadn’t talked to her — before letting slip he had.

Defending herself against censure on the House floor on Tuesday night, Plaskett framed Epstein as a “constituent” and argued that the text exchange came in February 2019, months before the federal investigation into him was “public knowledge.”

Epstein, however, had been convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution “11 years” prior – having served a jail sentence in 2008.

The censure attempt narrowly failed in a 209-214 vote.

Surrounded by reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday night, Jeffries faced a bombardment of questions over whether he’d addressed the issue:

REPORTER: Have you spoken to Stacey Plaskett after this controversy emerged?

HAKEEM JEFFRIES: I have not.

REPORTER: Can you confirm if there was a deal last night to sink the resolution against Congressman Plaskett in exchange for not bringing a central resolution against Congressman Plaskett?

JEFFRIES: We’ve made clear repeatedly we’re not going to unilaterally disarm.

REPORTER: So you’re saying there was no deal?

JEFFRIES: I’m saying we will not unilaterally disarm. Not now, not ever.

REPORTER: Mr. Leader, why wouldn’t you speak to Stacey Plaskett?

JEFFRIES: I said I haven’t spoken to her since the central resolution went down.

RERPORTER: No, no, about this text controversy.

JEFFRIES: I have not spoken to her since the central resolution went down.

REPORTER: Have you talked to her about this text controversy?

JEFFRIES: She and I have talked, conversation that will remain private.

On Tuesday night, CNN’s Kaitlin Collins also pressed the Democrat on whether he’d spoken with his colleague.

The exchange between Plaskett and Epstein, published in a document dump by the House Oversight Committee last week, was highlighted in a report by The Washington Post. The messages, the newspaper found, were sent in February 2019 as Cohen detailed allegations that President Donald Trump manipulated financial records and directed hush-money payments, claims Trump denied.

The texts, sent in real-time as Plaskett sat on the panel, appeared to show Epstein nudging the lawmaker’s line of questioning before signing off: “Good work.”

Watch above via X.