1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,599 this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon 3 00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:12,480 to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you 4 00:00:12,519 --> 00:00:16,719 want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,199 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,600 go to thepeteclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,120 subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,679 smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for 9 00:00:27,719 --> 00:00:32,479 your support. So remember, I don't know, it's been a while, 10 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,079 but like I'm old enough to remember it, so maybe 11 00:00:36,119 --> 00:00:39,679 maybe you do too. Remember when the government was shut 12 00:00:39,719 --> 00:00:43,079 down and everybody was like, hey, we got to get 13 00:00:43,079 --> 00:00:45,840 these people back into session. They need to be working 14 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:50,039 for the American people and all of that. Well, now 15 00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:55,640 they're back in session and man it is lit. They 16 00:00:55,799 --> 00:01:00,200 are just like censuring each other. They're just they're just 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,119 going at it. So is this really what we wanted them? Like, 18 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,239 we can we shut it down again? How about we 19 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,159 just shut down? Can we just shut down the Congress 20 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,239 for a little while, just the Congress? Maybe? How about 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:16,519 we try that, you know, like a control all delete 22 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,439 kind of a thing, Like can we just try to 23 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,719 like shut it down, give it five minutes or something, 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,959 and then bring it back online see if it resets. 25 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,799 You know. So over the last few days, while we've 26 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,359 been focusing a lot, and rightfully so, on the customs 27 00:01:32,359 --> 00:01:37,840 and Border patrol operation here in Charlotte, the members of 28 00:01:37,879 --> 00:01:41,000 Congress have just been ripping each other apart, trying to 29 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,599 pass all sorts of resolutions, saying this person stinks. That 30 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,719 person stinks. I don't like them, they did wrong, They're bad. 31 00:01:47,799 --> 00:01:51,799 All this stuff. None of them have passed, but that's 32 00:01:51,799 --> 00:01:54,120 what they But they keep running, which like I don't 33 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,680 know why I do, well, I do know why. This 34 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,000 is great for fundraising. Okay, this stuff is great for funding, 35 00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:03,519 and you know, try to think of like where people's 36 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,239 incentives may be on some of this stuff. All right, 37 00:02:07,319 --> 00:02:08,680 So I'm gonna get to him and try to hit 38 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,639 all of these different censure moves that have been going on. 39 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,319 But I have to start first with the previously unknown 40 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:26,080 Democrat Representative Sheila Cherphillis McCormick. She has been indicted on 41 00:02:26,319 --> 00:02:32,120 charges of stealing five million dollars in federal disaster funds 42 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,879 and then using some of that money to assist her 43 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:41,719 in her twenty twenty one congressional campaign. So woh, so 44 00:02:41,759 --> 00:02:47,000 she's like a national version of Tijuana Brown here in Charlotte, 45 00:02:47,879 --> 00:02:50,080 except she used the money to get elected rather than 46 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,080 on like an extravagant birthday party with a horse drawn 47 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:58,240 carriage in a queen's throne. The Florida Democrat is accused 48 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,560 of stealing FEMA payments. FEMA money in the form of 49 00:03:02,599 --> 00:03:06,319 overpaid so FEMA paid her too much money that her 50 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:12,280 family healthcare company had received through a federally funded COVID 51 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:18,759 nineteen vaccination staffing contract. A portion of the money was 52 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:23,919 then funneled to support her campaign through candidate contributions. According 53 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:30,319 to prosecutors who laid this out in their charges, I 54 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,159 have never heard of this one. But look, there's four 55 00:03:32,199 --> 00:03:35,840 hundred and thirty five members of Congress. I probably don't 56 00:03:35,919 --> 00:03:42,560 know half of them at least. Okay. Sherphillis McCormick's attorneys, 57 00:03:43,319 --> 00:03:48,199 David oscar Marcus Margo Moss, and Melissa Madrigal, I think 58 00:03:48,199 --> 00:03:49,879 you have to have the last name that starts with 59 00:03:49,919 --> 00:03:53,560 an M to get on that legal team. Anyway. They 60 00:03:53,639 --> 00:03:58,360 said in a statement that Sherphillis McCormick quote is a 61 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,759 committed public servant who is dedicated to her constituents. We 62 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:07,319 will fight to clear her good name. Which is not 63 00:04:07,639 --> 00:04:12,360 exactly a denial that I'm going to read this sentence 64 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,919 again because this is like, I know, there's an inference 65 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,879 of innocence, but everybody has that presumption. They say she's 66 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:25,360 a committed public servant who is dedicated to her constituents, 67 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,560 and the lawyers are going to fight to clear her 68 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,800 good name. That is not like maybe they have a 69 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,360 different statement maybe out there saying something a little bit 70 00:04:35,399 --> 00:04:38,879 more specific, maybe more explicitly saying, you know, she's innocent 71 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:40,879 of all the charges. She didn't do this, we will 72 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,199 prove it whatever. She was first elected to Congress in 73 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,600 twenty twenty two in Florida's twentieth district, representing parts of 74 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:54,240 Broward County and Palm Beach County. This was a special 75 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:59,120 election that was held after Representative Alce Hastings died in 76 00:04:59,199 --> 00:05:03,519 twenty twenty one. One. So fast forward then to twenty 77 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:08,800 twenty four, a Florida state agency sued a company owned 78 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:14,480 by her family. Right the Florida State agency, the Florida 79 00:05:14,519 --> 00:05:18,839 Division of Emergency Management, sued her company, saying that her 80 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,720 company had overcharged the state by almost five point eight 81 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,720 million dollars for work that they did during the pandemic, 82 00:05:28,759 --> 00:05:31,560 and the company said they were not going to give 83 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,680 the money back to the State of Florida. Right, They're like, no, 84 00:05:34,959 --> 00:05:38,240 we we did everything that we said we would do. 85 00:05:38,319 --> 00:05:43,199 We fulfilled the contract. The Florida Division of Emergency Management 86 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,680 said that it made a series of overpayments to Trinity 87 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:54,199 Healthcare Services. Okay, that's her family's company, after the state 88 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,680 hired Trinity in twenty twenty one to register people for 89 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,680 COVID nineteen vacations. The agency says that it discovered the 90 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:10,279 problem after a single overpayment of five million dollars drew 91 00:06:10,319 --> 00:06:13,079 their attention, which that does tend to happen with a 92 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:19,160 five million dollar draw down, right, And Sherphillis McCormick, the 93 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:25,240 now congresswoman, she was the CEO of Trinity at that time. Now, 94 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:29,240 the Office of Congressional Ethics said in a January report 95 00:06:30,319 --> 00:06:36,279 that Sherphillis McCormick's income in twenty twenty one was coincidentally 96 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,360 a little bit more than six million dollars higher than 97 00:06:41,399 --> 00:06:47,360 it was the previous year, which is pretty close to 98 00:06:47,399 --> 00:06:50,199 the five million, five point eight million overpayment. You know, 99 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,560 it's a little that number looks a little weird. In July, 100 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,959 the House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to reauthorize and invest 101 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,319 the Degative Subcommittee to examine the allegations involving Sherphillis McCormick. 102 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,879 But now she's got bigger problems, because you know, congressional 103 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:12,639 ethics is one thing, but besides the oxymoron. But now 104 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,439 now she's got an indictment on federal charges of stealing 105 00:07:16,439 --> 00:07:20,600 the five million dollars in disaster funds. So there's that. 106 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:27,240 Then there is the censure fest that's been going on 107 00:07:27,439 --> 00:07:32,560 up in Washington. So I'll start with the attempted censure 108 00:07:32,759 --> 00:07:37,480 of Corey Mills, also from Florida. Corey Mills is a Republican. 109 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:45,839 Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace from South Carolina introduced a resolution 110 00:07:46,079 --> 00:07:49,879 to censure Corey Mills and remove him from all of 111 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:56,000 his committees. She listed allegations of harassment, assault, stolen valor, 112 00:07:56,399 --> 00:08:02,759 as well as improper contracts by his Arms Safells company. Now, 113 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,480 this motion failed, this censure resolution that was offered up 114 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:14,000 it failed. Mills narrowly avoided a formal rebuke by his colleagues. 115 00:08:14,439 --> 00:08:19,959 Last night, Mace stood at the podium while her censure 116 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,600 resolution was read and stared directly at Mills, who sat 117 00:08:24,639 --> 00:08:30,519 just a few seats away from her. Seven Republicans voted 118 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,759 with her and that that is not enough. That's just 119 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:39,360 not enough, not enough votes to get that done. That 120 00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:43,799 included Representatives Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Green 121 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:48,679 of Georgia, Lauren Bobert of Colorado, Timberchett of Tennessee, Joe 122 00:08:48,759 --> 00:08:53,240 Wilson of South Carolina, Kat Camick of Florida, and Harriet 123 00:08:53,480 --> 00:09:02,639 Hageman of Wyoming. Now, I don't know, well, Nancy mas 124 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:08,480 is running for governor of South Carolina, right, so I 125 00:09:08,519 --> 00:09:12,159 don't know if this is part of like a political calculation. However, 126 00:09:12,399 --> 00:09:14,440 there may be a bit of there may be a 127 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:19,919 bit of personality conflict going on here or personal animis. 128 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:26,440 Maybe At the Hill dot Com they kind of go 129 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,960 through the sort of what led up to this, and 130 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:34,679 there are accusations that there are deals being made to 131 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:40,360 protect members from censure resolutions, and this is a bipartisan thing, 132 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:47,960 Democrats trading Republicans and vice versa in order to protect 133 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,120 their own members, So like, we won't vote for your 134 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,480 censured your censure resolution if you don't vote against our person. 135 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:56,879 That kind of a deal. 136 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 2: You know. 137 00:09:57,799 --> 00:10:00,279 Speaker 1: Stories are powerful. They help us make sense of things, 138 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,799 to understand experiences. Stories connect us to the people of 139 00:10:03,799 --> 00:10:07,120 our past while transcending generations. They help us process the 140 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,639 meaning of life, and our stories are told through images 141 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,480 and videos. Preserve your stories with Creative Video started in 142 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,399 nineteen ninety seven and Minhill, North Carolina. It was the 143 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,399 first company to provide this valuable service, converting images, photos 144 00:10:21,399 --> 00:10:25,639 and videos into high quality produced slide shows, videos and albums. 145 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,200 The trusted, talented and dedicated team at Creative Video will 146 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,279 go over all of the details with you to create 147 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:35,159 a perfect project. Satisfaction guaranteed. Drop them off in person 148 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,000 or mail them. They'll be ready in a week or two. 149 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:42,399 Memorial videos for your loved ones, videos for rehearsal, dinners, weddings, graduations, Christmas, 150 00:10:42,519 --> 00:10:46,720 family vacations, birthdays, or just your family stories all told 151 00:10:46,759 --> 00:10:50,480 through images. That's what your photos and videos are. They 152 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,320 are your life told through the eyes of everyone around 153 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,639 you and all who came before you, and they will 154 00:10:55,639 --> 00:10:59,000 tell others to come who you are. Visit creative video 155 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,799 dot com. All right, I got a message from Russ. 156 00:11:04,399 --> 00:11:08,720 He says, let me help you out with interpreting Nancy 157 00:11:08,799 --> 00:11:13,200 Mace's motivations. If she does or says anything, it is 158 00:11:13,279 --> 00:11:16,240 one hundred percent politically motivated. Hope it helps. There you go, 159 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,919 all right, So that's good to know. Thank you. So 160 00:11:22,039 --> 00:11:26,399 she introduces this censure resolution against one of her Republican 161 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,840 colleagues in the House named Corey Mills from Florida, and 162 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:36,000 the failed censure effort comes after the House Ethics Committee 163 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,879 announced the creation of a new subcommittee yesterday to investigate 164 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:45,240 the allegations against Mills involving sexual misconduct and financial impropriety. 165 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:50,159 Mills has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Nancy Mays slammed the 166 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:56,360 creation of this ethics panel just hours before her censure resolution. 167 00:11:56,519 --> 00:11:59,120 She called it a naked attempt to kill my resolution 168 00:11:59,279 --> 00:12:03,360 to censure Mills, right, because well, we have this investigation 169 00:12:03,519 --> 00:12:05,480 now set up, so we don't need to censure him. 170 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,360 House Democrats have previously threatened to advance a censure measure 171 00:12:10,399 --> 00:12:14,200 against Mills on several occasions in an attempt to ward 172 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:21,159 off GOP led efforts to formally rebuke Democrats. So Democratic 173 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:26,759 New York Representative Evette Clark she submitted a censure resolution 174 00:12:27,279 --> 00:12:34,039 against Mills Tuesday night, but that was after Republicans. She 175 00:12:34,159 --> 00:12:38,440 withdrew her resolution after Republicans did not secure enough votes 176 00:12:38,759 --> 00:12:44,080 to reprimand Democratic Delegate Stacy Plaskett over her ties to 177 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:48,120 the late convicted sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. See, so Democrats 178 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,679 have been holding this censure of Mills as a as 179 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:54,679 a sort of sort of damoclet. He's like, if you 180 00:12:54,759 --> 00:12:57,679 try to censure any of us, we're gonna censure Corey Mills. 181 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,600 So Nancy Mays is like, let's do it, and then 182 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:06,279 all the Democrats vote no, and that indicates right that 183 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:12,759 there is some coordination about this stuff going on. Democrats 184 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,879 have actually done three different efforts to censure Corey Mills 185 00:13:17,919 --> 00:13:21,000 in the recent months, but every one of those was 186 00:13:21,039 --> 00:13:25,559 a retaliatory threat in response to a Republican attempt to 187 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:31,120 censure a Democrat. The censures of those Democrats all failed, 188 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:38,519 So then the Democrats declined to force votes on censuring Mills. 189 00:13:40,279 --> 00:13:45,320 Three Republicans voted with all the Democrats against the censure 190 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:50,679 resolution of Stacy Plaskett and three other Republicans voted present, 191 00:13:50,759 --> 00:13:58,759 so that measure failed. Annapaulina Luna, Republican from Florida, insinuated 192 00:13:58,799 --> 00:14:02,679 a shady deal had led to the plasket resolution failing 193 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,840 in order to protect Mills, which that is what it 194 00:14:06,879 --> 00:14:11,200 looks like. Mills put out a statement he said he 195 00:14:11,279 --> 00:14:16,279 expected that censer to succeed against him, saying, I voted 196 00:14:16,279 --> 00:14:19,159 to center plasket, so I didn't cut any deal. He said. 197 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,759 Let me be perfectly clear, there was no backroom deal, 198 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,320 no negotiation, and no quid pro quo of any kind 199 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,480 that would have forced the Democrats to stand down on 200 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,000 that vote against me. Anyone pushing that narrative is just wrong. 201 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,559 Another censure of Mills that never moved forward came after 202 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:38,360 the House in September rejected an effort also brought by 203 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,080 Nancy Mays. She was trying to censure Representative ill On 204 00:14:42,279 --> 00:14:45,720 Omar over comments that she posted about the killing of 205 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:51,559 conservative activist Charlie Kirk Mills, who was facing a retaliatory censure. 206 00:14:52,159 --> 00:14:56,799 If Omar's reprimand had succeeded, he was going to get one. 207 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,480 He was the last minute deciding vote to sinc ilan 208 00:15:00,639 --> 00:15:04,840 Omar's censure Mills denied his vote against the censer was 209 00:15:04,879 --> 00:15:06,879 a way to protect himself. It just worked out that 210 00:15:06,919 --> 00:15:10,799 way for him. That's when Mace went on the offense 211 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,480 against Corey Mills. So when Mace put this up up 212 00:15:15,519 --> 00:15:19,039 for ilan Omar up for a censure resolution, it lost 213 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,840 by one vote. Corey Mills was won. And then after 214 00:15:21,919 --> 00:15:25,120 that vote they withdrew the censure resolution against Mills. The 215 00:15:25,159 --> 00:15:29,240 Democrats withdrew their motion, and that's what got Nancy mas 216 00:15:29,279 --> 00:15:32,799 All upset. A similar retaliatory center of Mills was also 217 00:15:32,879 --> 00:15:38,679 abandoned in September when Republicans killed a resolution that was 218 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:43,720 trying to censure Representative La Monica mc iver, she of 219 00:15:43,879 --> 00:15:47,639 the famous TV show democrat from New Jersey who was 220 00:15:47,639 --> 00:15:53,120 facing charges resulting from her fisticuffs clash with the immigration 221 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,519 officials at that detention center in New Jersey. So Republicans 222 00:15:57,559 --> 00:16:02,759 put a centre resolution up against her, and the Democrats said, oh, well, 223 00:16:02,799 --> 00:16:05,279 then we're going to cent your Corey Mills again, and 224 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:09,840 then Republicans tabled THEIRS and Democrats withdrew THEIRS in response. 225 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,120 So yeah, it does look like there's some sort of 226 00:16:13,159 --> 00:16:16,519 deal going on. 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She 253 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:52,079 is just a delegate from the US Virgin Islands. And 254 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:57,759 this is because Jeffrey Epstein, the now dead convicted pedophile, 255 00:17:58,559 --> 00:18:02,240 was apparently feeding questions to her during a twenty nineteen 256 00:18:02,279 --> 00:18:05,880 congressional hearing and giving her real time help on how 257 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,680 to damage President Trump's reputation. This was part of the 258 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:18,400 batch of emails and documents that the House Overside Committee dumped. 259 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,119 There was like twenty thousand of these emails and they 260 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,759 dumped all this stuff out. The texts were first reported 261 00:18:22,799 --> 00:18:25,960 though by the Washington Post, and it shows they lined 262 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,200 this up with the video and everything from the hearing 263 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:34,119 and shows that Epstein was chatting with Plasket during a 264 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:40,200 February twenty seven, twenty nineteen House Overside Committee hearing in 265 00:18:40,319 --> 00:18:45,519 which Trump's former fixer, attorney Guy Michael Cohen, was testifying 266 00:18:45,559 --> 00:18:49,920 about Trump's alleged payments to mistresses in order to silence 267 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:54,440 stories before the twenty sixteen election. Right and in the text, 268 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,799 Epstein appeared to be watching on TV while Cohen brought 269 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:05,799 up a former Trump executive assistant named Rona graph ronagraph 270 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,480 no relation to the phonograph. Okay, Cohen, this is what 271 00:19:10,559 --> 00:19:14,759 Epstein texted. Cohen brought up Rona, keeper of the secrets, 272 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,319 and he misspelled her first name. But Plaska didn't know 273 00:19:18,559 --> 00:19:20,920 what he was talking about because he all capped her 274 00:19:21,039 --> 00:19:24,279 name and misspelled it. So it's r O NA And 275 00:19:24,319 --> 00:19:29,160 so she responds, rona question mark question mark quick, I'm 276 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:34,000 up next? Is that an acronym? So she didn't know 277 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,880 what he was talking about. So she's responding to him like, oh, 278 00:19:38,039 --> 00:19:40,359 brought up Rona. What's Rona? Tell me what the acronym 279 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,599 name means? I'm up next? She has to In other words, 280 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:48,799 her time is about to start. Epstein quickly responds, that's 281 00:19:48,839 --> 00:19:53,880 his assistant. He has opened the door to questions regarding 282 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:57,680 who are the other henchmen at Trump dot org or 283 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:03,079 at Trump Org. She says, yep, very aware and waiting 284 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,079 my turn. She then begins questioning Cohen at two twenty eight, 285 00:20:07,559 --> 00:20:11,799 and she asks about Rona Graf as well as with 286 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:18,160 other Trump associates Epstein had mentioned. Are there other people 287 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,279 that we should be meeting with? She asks Cohen, and 288 00:20:21,319 --> 00:20:25,519 Cohen says so, Alan Weiselberg is the chief financial officer 289 00:20:25,599 --> 00:20:30,160 in the Trump organization. And then she says, you've got 290 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:32,039 to quickly give us as many names as you can 291 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,680 so we can get to them. Is what is miss 292 00:20:34,799 --> 00:20:42,799 Rona's name? Rona Graf? She's executive assistant. Cohen responds, her 293 00:20:42,839 --> 00:20:45,000 office is directly next to his. She's involved in a 294 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,400 lot of what went on. And then Plasket's time expires 295 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:56,200 and Epstein sends her attacks that says, good work. The 296 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:03,880 documents redacted Plasket's name. So had the Washington Post not 297 00:21:04,039 --> 00:21:07,359 done this analysis, had not found these emails and lined 298 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,559 it up with a congressional hearing, we would not know this. Now, 299 00:21:11,599 --> 00:21:14,480 keep in mind, this is twenty nineteen. Epstein was already 300 00:21:14,519 --> 00:21:19,160 convicted on state prostitution charges and just a couple months later, 301 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:23,720 he would be charged with sex trafficking of minors. Epstein 302 00:21:23,759 --> 00:21:28,000 owned two private islands in the US Virgin Islands, which 303 00:21:28,039 --> 00:21:31,319 the FEDS have called the nexus of his sex trafficking operations. 304 00:21:31,599 --> 00:21:35,400 Plasket initially declined comment, but after the newspaper published its story, 305 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,279 her office issued a statement confirming yes, she did have 306 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:44,599 contact during the hearing with her former campaign donor, Jeffrey Epstein. Quote. 307 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,920 During the hearing, Congresswoman Plasket received texts from staff, constituents, 308 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,599 and the public at large offering advice, support, and in 309 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:57,759 some cases, partisan vitriol, including from Epstein. As a former prosecutor, 310 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,119 she welcomes information that helps her get at the truth 311 00:22:01,279 --> 00:22:04,240 and took on the GOP that was trying to bury 312 00:22:04,279 --> 00:22:08,680 the truth. She's previously made clear her long recording combating 313 00:22:08,759 --> 00:22:13,720 sexual assault and human trafficking, her disgust over Epstein's devian behavior, 314 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:19,799 her support for his victims. The Virgin Islands delegate in 315 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,240 July of twenty nineteen said she would part ways with 316 00:22:22,319 --> 00:22:24,960 over eight thousand dollars in campaign donations that he had 317 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,599 given her, after initially saying that she was going to 318 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:33,200 keep the cash, but then she caved on that credit 319 00:22:33,279 --> 00:22:39,119 to Caitlin Collins because she had Hakeem Jeffreys on the 320 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,720 House Minority Leader and asked him about this. 321 00:22:41,799 --> 00:22:44,839 Speaker 2: Have you heard Stacy Plaskett there, she was arguing her 322 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,759 text with that Jeffrey Epstein were not illegal, but in 323 00:22:47,799 --> 00:22:49,359 your view, were they appropriate? 324 00:22:50,799 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 3: Well, Stacey Plaskett is not accused of violating any House rule, 325 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:59,680 any law, any statute, and she's clearly and on the 326 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:03,680 quick denounced Jeffrey Epstein. And I think what the survivors 327 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:08,000 fought for today is the type of transparency that came 328 00:23:08,039 --> 00:23:10,039 out of the House, went through the Senate, and is 329 00:23:10,079 --> 00:23:13,440 now on its way to Donald Trump's death where hopefully 330 00:23:13,519 --> 00:23:16,799 he'll sign it into law. Because at the end of 331 00:23:16,799 --> 00:23:19,960 the day, all the American people I'm asking for is 332 00:23:20,039 --> 00:23:21,839 just the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, 333 00:23:21,839 --> 00:23:24,400 which is why these Epstein files that Donald Trump and 334 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,119 his administration has been hiding for months need to be released. 335 00:23:29,519 --> 00:23:31,079 Speaker 2: But do you think it was appropriate for her to 336 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,480 be texting with Jeffrey Epstein eleven years after he pleaded guilty. 337 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,759 Speaker 3: I mean, I have not had a conversation with Stacey 338 00:23:36,759 --> 00:23:39,599 Plaskett to discuss this issue because we've been focused today 339 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,240 on making sure that there was a decisive vote as. 340 00:23:42,079 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: A related tests, not an answer. 341 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 3: The Epstein files and the release. 342 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 1: Do you think it was appropriate of. 343 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 3: Representative massity of Rocanna? But most importantly the survivors. 344 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 2: Do you plan to talk to her about it? 345 00:23:55,240 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 3: I think that we successfully defeated a resolution that lack 346 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:04,519 any basis was incredible, was not credible, and was being 347 00:24:04,559 --> 00:24:08,599 brought by an individual who was trying to weaponize this 348 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:14,359 issue to reinvigorate his own failed gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina. 349 00:24:14,519 --> 00:24:17,559 Speaker 1: All Right, so doesn't answer the questions is it appropriate 350 00:24:17,599 --> 00:24:19,519 that she was texting? Are you planning to talk to 351 00:24:19,559 --> 00:24:22,160 her about it? Doesn't answer any of those questions, but 352 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,160 at least she asked them. All Right, if you're listening 353 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:27,759 to this show, you know I try to keep up 354 00:24:27,759 --> 00:24:29,559 with all sorts of current events, and I know you 355 00:24:29,599 --> 00:24:32,079 do too, and you've probably heard me say get your 356 00:24:32,079 --> 00:24:35,960 news from multiple sources. Why Well, because it's how you 357 00:24:36,039 --> 00:24:39,000 detect media bias, which is why I've been so impressed 358 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,759 with ground News. It's an app, and it's a website, 359 00:24:42,839 --> 00:24:45,559 and it combines news from around the world in one place, 360 00:24:45,599 --> 00:24:48,880 so you can compare coverage and verify information. You can 361 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:53,680 check it out at check dot ground, dot news slash pete. 362 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,359 I put the link in the podcast description too. I 363 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,960 started using ground News a few months ago and more 364 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,559 recently chose to work with them as an affiliate because 365 00:25:01,599 --> 00:25:04,839 it lets me see clearly how stories get covered and 366 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,119 by whom. The blind spot feature shows you which stories 367 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,680 get ignored by the left and the right. See for 368 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,880 yourself check dot ground, dot news slash pete. Subscribe through 369 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,559 that link and you'll get fifteen percent off any subscription. 370 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,599 I use the Vantage plan to get unlimited access to 371 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,160 every feature. Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, 372 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,519 but it also supports ground News as they make the 373 00:25:27,599 --> 00:25:33,000 media landscape more transparent. As part of the censurefest that 374 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:39,640 resulted in zero censures in DC, another one that was 375 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:45,400 floated was against Jasmine Jazzy Jazz fresh Face Jasmine Crockett 376 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:51,319 from Texas, the code switcher in chief, and this was 377 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,720 because she got onto the floor of the house where 378 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,279 you can say whatever you want and not be sued 379 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:00,920 for defamation or slander because you have a protection there. 380 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,680 So she gets up on the floor and she's accusing 381 00:26:04,799 --> 00:26:07,599 all of these Republicans of taking money from Jeffrey Epstein, 382 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:09,920 one of the people she accused of taking and this 383 00:26:10,039 --> 00:26:14,240 was in response to the news that class Get was 384 00:26:14,279 --> 00:26:18,480 getting these texts or was swapping texts, which, by the way, 385 00:26:18,599 --> 00:26:23,359 she initiated. She reached out to Jeffrey Epstein during that 386 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,599 hearing of Michael Cohens. She was the one that initiated that, 387 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,319 and she now says, oh, I was just trying to 388 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,640 get information to help with the questioning and whatever. So 389 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,960 that prompted the backlash from Democrats that are like, oh, yeah, 390 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:42,119 well you took money too. And she lists Lee Zelden, 391 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:49,200 who's the EPA chief now former congressman. He ran for governor, 392 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:56,799 a Republican, and her staff went through the FEC filings 393 00:26:57,319 --> 00:27:00,880 and found these Republicans that took money from Jeffrey Epstein. 394 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,039 So she gets on the House floor and accuses them 395 00:27:04,079 --> 00:27:08,119 of taking money from Jeffrey Epstein. Slight problem, as Lee 396 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:12,880 Zelden pointed out, if you actually looked at the documents 397 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,680 that are uploaded to the FEC, the Jeffrey Epstein that 398 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:21,200 gave money to Lee Zelden is actually a physician and 399 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,240 not the other Jeffrey Epstein, not the guy who hanged 400 00:27:25,279 --> 00:27:29,079 himself or maybe did not that guy. It's just he's 401 00:27:29,079 --> 00:27:31,880 a doctor who has the same name. And he made 402 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:36,079 his donation to lee Zelden on August thirty first, twenty twenty, 403 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,400 which is after the other Jeffrey Epstein killed himself or 404 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,680 did it like That's so it would not be possible 405 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,559 for that donation to have occurred. But they didn't even 406 00:27:50,599 --> 00:27:53,680 do any research on it. They just saw a name, 407 00:27:53,759 --> 00:27:56,519 Jeffrey Epstein, and they said that must be the guy, 408 00:27:56,839 --> 00:28:02,720 and they smeared lee Zelden. Now and by the way, 409 00:28:02,759 --> 00:28:07,079 Trump did sign that. I think there's a loophole here 410 00:28:08,599 --> 00:28:11,720 and one other point here on the centrefest, and I'll 411 00:28:11,759 --> 00:28:14,880 go into this because this is just classic Democrat being 412 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:21,200 Democrat behavior. Chewey Garcia out of Illinois. There was also 413 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:27,359 a condemnation against him that was floated by a Democrat 414 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:32,960 because of the way he obviously rigged his seat for 415 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,359 the next election because he decided not to run again 416 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,240 and he cleared the field in order for his preferred 417 00:28:40,279 --> 00:28:43,400 candidate to take the seat. That one didn't go anywhere either, 418 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:48,000 but that was part of the Centerfest. But sticking with 419 00:28:48,039 --> 00:28:52,240 the Epstein files story, Trump last night signed the bill 420 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:57,160 ordering the Department of Justice to release its records on Epstein. 421 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:01,319 The Department now has thirty days to comply with the 422 00:29:01,359 --> 00:29:04,359 bill and release the evidence and records that it has 423 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:10,240 compiled on Epstein. Here's the key from Daily Wire, notwithstanding 424 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:17,000 any redactions to the materials. Okay, so they're gonna they're 425 00:29:17,039 --> 00:29:20,279 making redactions. So that's the first thing to keep in mind. 426 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,720 The bill reached the President's desk after the House voted 427 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:25,880 to approve the release of the records earlier this week. 428 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,319 The President had long resisted the efforts to release the files, 429 00:29:29,359 --> 00:29:32,039 calling accusations that he was attempting to hide the facts 430 00:29:32,039 --> 00:29:35,839 of the case a hoax while blaming Democrats for pushing conspiracies. 431 00:29:36,319 --> 00:29:40,559 The President switched to supporting the file's release on Monday, 432 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,720 urging House Republicans to support the measure after it became 433 00:29:44,799 --> 00:29:48,319 clear that the bill would pass regardless. Under the bill, 434 00:29:48,839 --> 00:29:51,559 Attorney General Pam Bondi has thirty days to release all 435 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:57,119 unclassified information. There's another one unclassified related to Jeffrey Epstein. 436 00:29:57,599 --> 00:30:00,759 Bondi is allowed to withhold or redact int that could 437 00:30:00,799 --> 00:30:05,920 jeopardize a federal investigation. Now, this is the problem because 438 00:30:06,519 --> 00:30:11,359 subpoenas went out to banks for Epstein's financial records and stuff. 439 00:30:12,799 --> 00:30:15,960 So does that mean that they're going to now shield 440 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,200 a bunch of stuff because they say it's part of 441 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:24,480 an ongoing investigation. Much of the remaining materials cannot be 442 00:30:24,519 --> 00:30:28,720 released also because they are under seal by a court order, 443 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:30,599 so they're not going to be allowed to release that 444 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:35,079 stuff either. So I'll be watching, I'll be watching. We'll 445 00:30:35,079 --> 00:30:38,880 see what happens there on o'clock now thirty days. All right, 446 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,279 that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much 447 00:30:41,279 --> 00:30:43,359 for listening. I could not do the show without your 448 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,160 support and the support of the businesses that advertise on 449 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,960 the podcast, so if you'd like, please support them too 450 00:30:49,039 --> 00:30:50,680 and tell them you heard it here. You can also 451 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,319 become a patron at my Patreon page or go to 452 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,160 thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much for listening, 453 00:30:57,279 --> 00:31:05,000 and don't break anything while I'm gone.