As Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D.) seeks the governorship of the United States Virgin Islands, the source of a substantial portion of her recent fundraising has drawn renewed attention. Donations from individuals linked to the late Jeffrey Epstein – the convicted sex offender – made up roughly one‑third of Plaskett’s total fundraising haul in the last quarter.
On 13 April, Erika Kellerhals – a former Epstein lawyer who managed his network of shell companies and is alleged to have pressured Virgin Islands officials to waive Epstein’s sex‑offender registration requirements – contributed the federal maximum of $3,500 to Plaskett’s gubernatorial campaign. Kellerhals’s husband, law‑firm partner Greg Ferguson, his wife, and businessman Sebastiano Cassinelli – who previously solicited political donations from Epstein – each gave the maximum amount allowed to Plaskett’s congressional campaign.
Plaskett, who serves as a non‑voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives, was a manager for the Trump impeachment trial in 2021 and sits on the powerful House Ways & Means Committee. On 16 April she transferred nearly all of her congressional war chest to the gubernatorial race, a move that has intensified scrutiny of her past fundraising practices.
Public distancing and lingering connections
During a debate this week, Plaskett again sought to distance herself from Epstein, describing the episode as "a very difficult chapter in Virgin Islands history." However, the continued financial links to Kellerhals and other Epstein associates suggest that the relationship has not been fully severed.
Kellerhals played a pivotal role in introducing Plaskett – then a law‑firm employee – to Epstein in 2014, describing her as a "potential donor". She subsequently arranged several meetings between the two, the final one occurring on 14 May 2019, only weeks before Epstein was arrested in New Jersey on charges of trafficking under‑age girls to his Virgin Islands residence.
The Virgin Islands has a documented history of challenges with corruption and transparency. Critics argue that Plaskett’s connections to Kellerhals and other figures tied to Epstein raise concerns about her capacity to lead the territory, especially given the sizeable proportion of her campaign funds that stem from these sources.
First reported by a wire service, the revelations are likely to keep Plaskett’s campaign under close observation as the election approaches.