REP. RALPH NORMAN: Double Standards Don’t Serve The Republic

In recent weeks, the American people have witnessed the grotesque misconduct of the United States House of Representatives come to light.

Documents released as part of the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation show that Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands texted Jeffrey Epstein, a man who was already a convicted sex offender and widely known to be under scrutiny by the Department of Justice, during a congressional hearing. She did not deny it. She not only admitted it. She embraced it.

Del. Plaskett wasn’t simply exchanging pleasantries. The former prosecutor herself sought and received guidance from Epstein while performing her congressional duties, then later claimed she “didn’t know” about his criminal history or the continued federal interest in him. That explanation cannot withstand even minimal scrutiny. By that point, every American with a newspaper, radio, or television knew exactly who Epstein was and what he had done.

Yet Democrats brushed the whole affair aside, describing it as nothing more than “taking a call from a constituent.” That excuse insults the intelligence of the American people. Epstein was rather better known as a pedophile whose name had been in national headlines for years.

This is not a complicated matter.

A sitting member of Congress colluded with a convicted sex offender during official oversight work. There is no ambiguity. The conduct is documented and acknowledged, and reflects discredit on the U.S. House of Representatives.

That is exactly why I introduced a resolution to censure Del. Stacey Plaskett and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee — the evidence was damning. The only remaining question was whether the House believed such behavior was acceptable.

Democrats responded by accusing Republicans of denying her “due process,” claiming an investigation should come first. But you cannot claim due process is lacking when the relevant facts are not contested. The Democrat argument was not about process but about avoiding accountability.

These same members spent months demanding the release of documents related to Epstein in an attempt to embarrass President Donald Trump. Suddenly, when the files they demanded reflect poorly on one of their own, accountability doesn’t matter anymore. (RELATED: Democrat Stacey Plaskett Admits Epstein Was Pulling Her Strings)

Selective justice is not justice at all. The American people are tired of watching Washington play by two sets of rules. I’m disappointed in my colleagues: Democrats who claim to champion accountability — yet look the other way when misconduct comes from within their own ranks — and Republicans who either side with the Left or shy away from taking a stance and instead simply vote present.

That is not what our constituents expect from us. The families, farmers, veterans, and small-business owners I represent in South Carolina’s Fifth District expect Congress to uphold the same standards we ask of them. They expect us to preserve the integrity of this institution, not shield one another from uncomfortable truths.

This is bigger than one member. It’s about what kind of institution we want the House of Representatives to be. Is it a place where misconduct is judged consistently or where consequences depend on party loyalty? Is it a body that stands for transparency and truth or one that hides behind process arguments when the facts are inconvenient?

If Congress cannot police its own members fairly, then it forfeits the moral authority to lecture anyone else on ethics. The American people deserve one standard of justice, not a Republican standard and a Democratic standard, not a standard for friends and a different one for political opponents.

The facts are clear. The conduct is admitted. The refusal to act is indefensible.

We must ask ourselves a straightforward question. Are we serving the American people, or are we serving ourselves and our party loyalty? Are we offering equal justice under the rules, or are we selectively applying accountability?

The American people do not tolerate double standards. They do not accept that one member is expelled, and another escapes a fair hearing simply because the politics differ. The public expects integrity, transparency, and consistency. They expect a body of government that is more concerned with the rights of constituents and the rule of law than with partisan protection.

Ralph Norman represents the 5^th Congressional District of South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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