Republican strategist Scott Jennings said Tuesday that Democrats could face growing political consequences as newly released documents continue to reveal previously undisclosed connections between prominent party figures and Jeffrey Epstein.
Appearing on the podcast “2WAY Tonight with Mark Halperin,” Jennings discussed [1] the release of new records, including messages showing that Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett exchanged texts with Epstein during former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s 2019 congressional testimony.
BREAKING – Newly uncovered video reveals the moment House Oversight Democrat Stacey Plaskett was being coached by Epstein via text, being told what to ask, in the middle of a 2019 hearing. pic.twitter.com/j1e84oX96W [2]
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) November 15, 2025 [3]
Jennings said Democrats may be creating complications for themselves as they attempt to link President Donald Trump to Epstein.
“This was just the latest Democratic plan to tie him up and try to tie him down. He’s lived through these episodes before. And I think what we’re learning today, Mark, Democrats may be careful what they wish for here because, look, what do we already know?” Jennings asked.
Jennings referenced several examples highlighted in the latest document releases.
“A bunch of prominent Democrats were pretty tied in with Epstein. We have Stacey Plaskett on the House floor today trying to defend herself. It turns out after he was convicted, she’s getting text messages from Epstein programming her on what to say in congressional hearings,” he said.
Jennings also cited a 2013 fundraising solicitation sent to Epstein by a firm representing current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
He continued, “We know Hakeem Jeffries was trying to fundraise with Epstein. We know Larry Summers has now had to take a step back from public life because he was soliciting dating advice from Epstein.”
Hakeem has been on a media tour the last few days on Epstein, but refuses to condemn Stacey Plaskett.
Epstein documents reveal that Hakeem’s consulting firm reached out to Jeffrey Epstein to arrange a dinner between them.
Is “Brooklyn’s Barack” telling us everything he knows? pic.twitter.com/8SYW2VR1qM [4]
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) November 18, 2025 [5]
Jennings said Democrats are trying to present the expanding disclosures as a Trump-related controversy, but he argued the evidence suggests the developments could shift attention to Democratic political figures instead.
“I think what we’re going to find out is that there’s more evidence that Epstein was doing a lot of stuff with Democrats than he was doing anything with Donald Trump. So Democrats want people to think this is a Trump story. We may find out it’s a Democrat story sooner,” Jennings said.
The newly released material prompted debate in the House of Representatives earlier Tuesday, where lawmakers considered a Republican-led resolution to remove Plaskett from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
The move followed reporting that she exchanged messages with Epstein during the 2019 hearing.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland defended Plaskett on the House floor.
Raskin said the messages amounted to routine engagement with someone classified as a constituent at the time and argued that Republicans had not presented evidence of an ethical violation.
He maintained that the matter should be directed to the House Ethics Committee if members wanted a formal review.
Raskin referred to the exchange as a conversation with a “constituent.”
He added that Republicans lacked a basis for censure.
The House ultimately rejected the resolution.
A group of Republicans joined Democrats to defeat the measure, preventing Plaskett’s removal from the Intelligence Committee.
FYI : The six Republicans who did not support the censure resolution against Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) were:
**Voted “No” (3):**
– Rep. Lance Gooden (TX)
– Rep. Don Bacon (NE)
– Rep. David Joyce (OH)**Voted “Present” (3):**
– Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA)
– Rep. Dan Meuser (PA)
-… pic.twitter.com/FKGzZJ20xj [6]— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) November 19, 2025 [7]
The release of Epstein-related documents continues to provide new information about the late financier’s interactions with public officials.
Additional batches of records are expected as review processes move forward.
The Plaskett censure failed because house leadership exchanged that censure failure for the withdrawal of a vote to censure and refer Cory Mills to house ethics for investigation. The swamp protects itself.
pic.twitter.com/IvS47gWXne [8]— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) November 19, 2025 [9]