Democrat Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett claimed on Tuesday that she was texting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 hearing because he was a “constituent” and not, at the time, under federal investigation.

It was recently revealed that Plaskett was texting Epstein in real-time during a congressional hearing with former Trump attorney-turned-adversary Michael Cohen. Epstein was texting Plaskett information to seemingly go after President Donald Trump. 

“I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who at the time was my constituent,” Plaskett said, defending herself on Tuesday. “[It] was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation, and … was sharing information with me.”

During the hearing, Epstein told Plaskett to question Cohen about the president’s former executive assistant. Plaskett notably frets over not understanding the person’s name and tells Epstein that she’s “up next.”

Minutes after Plaskett brings up the assistant’s name as she was told, Epstein texts Plaskett, “Good work.”

“New Epstein files show [Stacey Plaskett] got real-time help via text messages from Jeffrey Epstein on how to hurt Trump during 2019 congressional hearing with former Trump attorney,” journalist Michael Shellenberger captioned video of the newly uncovered incident.

The same day as Plaskett’s jarring defense of her actions, the House rejected a Democrat bid to stop a resolution to censure Plaskett.

“Delegate Plaskett’s willingness to receive instructions on official congressional proceedings from Epstein, a convicted felony sex offender with deeply concerning international associations, is especially alarming and inappropriate given her own past service in the U.S. Department of Justice and her current role on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” the resolution, which was introduced by GOP Rep. Ralph Norman (SC), reads.

The resolution will likely be considered sometime this week.

“Jeffrey Epstein was a predator who exploited minors,” Norman said. “The idea that any Member of Congress would coordinate with him on official proceedings is beyond comprehension.”

“This was not casual contact,” he added. “These were deliberate communications that shaped part of a hearing designed to attack President Trump. It raises serious questions about judgment, integrity, and fitness to serve.”

Related: Senate Unanimously Votes To Release The Epstein Files, Sending Bill To Trump’s Desk

The Trump administration is designating Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, strengthening economic and military ties between Washington and Riyadh, the president announced on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump announced the designation while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the White House this week. Salman’s visit was received with many of the trappings of a state visit, though the event lacked the official status as Salman’s father is the actual head of the Saudi state.

“We’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them,” said Trump, before adding that Washington and Riyadh will enter into “a historic strategic defense agreement, which we just signed a little while ago.”

The announcement comes a day after the president said that he intends to allow Saudi Arabia to purchase F-35 stealth fighter planes from the United States.

“I am planning on doing that,” the president said. “They want to buy them. They’ve been a great ally.”

Salman offered promises to Trump, as well. Earlier on Tuesday, the crown prince said that Saudi Arabia intends to increase its pledge to invest in the United States from $600 billion to “almost $1 trillion.” The investment would be nearly equal to the entirety of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, according to The New York Times.

Trump has moved to strengthen ties between Washington and Riyadh after the Biden administration’s effort to distance itself from the Saudis over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other controversies. The Trump administration has prioritized the relationship with Riyadh, seeking its cooperation on issues such as gas production and the Abraham Accords.

The Saudis have signaled interest in joining the landmark foreign policy achievement of Trump’s tenure in office, the Abraham Accords, and normalizing relations with Israel. Riyadh has made it firmly understood, though, that it cannot normalize relations with Jerusalem until a pathway to a two-state solution with the Palestinian people is secure.

Saudi Arabia was one of a coalition of Arab states that backed the Trump-brokered peace and ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire agreement, if it holds, provides a pathway to end the war in Gaza and sets goals and parameters for a Palestinian state to eventually be built. Some experts have expressed concern over Washington’s growing ties with Riyadh, especially over the Trump administration’s decision to share highly-prized military assets such as the F-35 with the Saudis. Saudi Arabia has a defense agreement with China, and some experts have said that the Saudi government may share the technology with Beijing, according to Politico.