Democratic congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (V.I.) beseeched Jeffrey Epstein for help funding a new “voter file” that would allow her to “completely outperform anyone in any race.”
Using the email handle “LeRoy Daughter,” Plaskett pitched Epstein on the idea in an email on May 5, 2017, according to documents released by the Department of Justice. In the pitch, Plaskett asked Epstein to fund a one-year project to “create a new voter file” of Virgin Islands voters.
The goal, according to Plaskett, was to compile data on Virgin Islanders who had voted in recent elections and update their phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses to help Plaskett’s campaign and those of her allies in other races.
“This is the most important group to poll for messaging and later phone banking for support and get to the polls,” wrote Plaskett, adding that the list would help candidates decide what political positions to take and assist “messaging and campaign work.”
“This project would allow us to completely outperform anyone in any race,” wrote Plaskett. “Jeffrey, would really appreciate your support in the project and thoughts on our home and national scene.”
It is unclear why Plaskett used an alternative email account in the exchange with Epstein. The pseudonymous account, which appears to be a reference to Plaskett’s father, LeRoy Plaskett, is copied on a July 11, 2018, email in which Plaskett invited Epstein to a campaign fundraiser in New York City.
The email adds to an existing pile of evidence that Plaskett was far closer to Epstein, both personally and politically, than she has conceded publicly. In November, Plaskett defended revelations that she exchanged text messages with Epstein during a February 2019 congressional hearing, describing the exchange as correspondence with a “constituent” who had sent her unsolicited messages. She denied that she had “a friendship” with Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
And yet, in a text message on Sept. 24, 2018, Plaskett asked Epstein if it would be “presumptuous” for her to consider Epstein “a friend,” the Washington Free Beacon reported.
“Privileged to be called friend,” Epstein replied.
In her pitch to Epstein, Plaskett said she was working on the voter data project with James McGee, a longtime political consultant to Epstein.
“I’d like to launch by the next month and would appreciate your partnership to make this happen,” wrote Plaskett, who also said she would be meeting later that month with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.).
McGee, whose consulting firm is based in Boston, wrote to Epstein about the Plaskett initiative on May 2, 2017, saying it had “two (2) very important purposes” that would help their political influence in the U.S. territory.
“To Protect, Reinforce, and Continue to Build Upon Stacey’s currently very strong political position and the High Favoribilty [sic] Ratings she currently has ahead of next year,” wrote McGee. “I can tell you the end results of this project is a model/mechanism that puts us, Stacey, and a potential candidate at a tremendous advantage over the field.”
“I know Stacey appreciates it,” said McGee.
McGee, who was paid $15,000 a month by Epstein, according to a contract included in the Epstein files, made other pitches to Epstein in 2012 about buying a radio station and newspaper in the Virgin Islands in order to control the “narrative” and to “have an impact on the territorial elections.” Epstein did not purchase the media companies.
But Epstein was instrumental in helping Plaskett win her 2014 election, the Free Beacon reported.
Epstein was recruited to help Plaskett by Cecile de Jongh, the office manager for Epstein and the then-first lady of the Virgin Islands.
“Your help is needed. We are trying to get Stacey Plaskett elected to Congress,” de Jongh wrote in a June 19, 2014, email to Epstein. She said Plaskett’s primary challenger, then-Virgin Islands legislator Shawn-Michael Malone, at a Senate hearing a week earlier had criticized Epstein’s sexual exploits.
“He is nasty and needs to be defeated,” de Jongh wrote of Malone, adding that “we would have a friend in Stacey.”
De Jongh asked Epstein to donate to Plaskett’s campaign to help meet a goal of $75,000.
Epstein agreed and said he would contribute and directed four employees to give to Plaskett, which is a violation of campaign finance laws. Those employees, Lesley Groff, Darren Indyke, Bella Klein, and Richard Kahn, did so to the tune of around $10,400, according to campaign finance records.
Plaskett won the race by just 737 votes, in what local newspapers called “one of the biggest upsets” in Virgin Islands political history.
Plaskett and McGee did not respond to requests for comment.
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