Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, center, is the only remaining defendant in a civil lawsuit tied to Jeffrey Epstein, following a court ruling that dismissed all other claims.
Following a federal court ruling allowing certain claims to proceed against Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett in a civil lawsuit tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, her attorney has issued a formal response, criticizing the allegations as unfounded and expressing confidence that the case will ultimately be dismissed.
Eric R. Breslin, legal counsel for Plaskett, said in a letter dated March 23, 2025, that while it would have been preferable for all claims against his client to be dismissed, the court’s recent decision has moved the case closer to full resolution.
“This week, the Court addressed the pending Motions to Dismiss,” Breslin wrote. “A motion to dismiss views the facts favorable to the plaintiff and asks the Court to reject part or all of a case based on technical issues or deficiencies in the complaint itself.”
Judge Arun Subramanian of the Southern District of New York dismissed claims against several former and current officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands government, citing jurisdictional issues, settlements, or their official capacities at the time. However, the judge denied a portion of Plaskett’s motion, allowing several claims under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and negligence claims to move forward in her individual capacity.
Breslin stated that “many of the dismissals for other defendants were due to technicalities like jurisdictional issues, settlements they signed, and arguments about their positions as elected officials at the time of these crimes,” but stressed that the court’s willingness to examine the facts in Plaskett’s case offers a meaningful opportunity for exoneration.
“What remains for Ms. Plaskett is a single count,” Breslin said, asserting that the legal team believes the remaining allegation is “not only factually unsupported but impossible to sustain.”
The lawsuit, filed by six women identified as Jane Does 1 through 6, alleges that the U.S. Virgin Islands government and multiple top officials enabled and benefited from Epstein’s criminal operation by failing to take action while he trafficked women and girls in the territory. The plaintiffs accuse Plaskett of soliciting campaign donations and accepting a $30,000 loan from Epstein in exchange for approving over $300 million in tax benefits for his companies—claims she and her attorney deny.
“The facts they are alleging—that Plaskett gave tax benefits in exchange for campaign contributions—do not make sense, since she did not have that ability and was not at the agency when the tax benefits were approved,” Breslin stated. “It is clear that, as to Stacey Plaskett, plaintiffs’ attorneys have fabricated facts and insinuations for a payday for themselves at the expense of the Congresswoman, the people of the Virgin Islands, and even the victims who have to relitigate this matter again.”
The court found that Plaskett’s visits to Epstein’s New York mansion and her political fundraising in the state satisfied personal jurisdiction under New York’s long-arm statute. The court allowed TVPA and negligence claims to proceed while dismissing the RICO claim against her.
Breslin said the defense is prepared to demonstrate, in the next phase of litigation, that the allegations against Plaskett “should be dismissed not simply through a technicality but because the allegation is wrong, false, and frankly is not supported by the facts.”
The case will proceed solely against Plaskett, and the court has asked the parties to submit motions related to venue transfer within 14 days. All other named defendants, including former Governors John de Jongh and Kenneth Mapp, former Attorney General Vincent Frazer, former Senators Celestino White and Carlton Dowe, and former First Lady Cecile de Jongh, have been dismissed from the case.
