Stacey E. Plaskett has described the video of her naked husband and their young child in the background as a playful family moment. Photo: VIC

Former Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen has come out in strong support for Plaskett. Photo: Facebook

"Our children and grandchildren should be able to look up to those in public office as role models. It is deeply unfortunate when those entrusted to serve our community engage in a manner that poorly reflects upon the Virgin Islands. I have always tried to conduct myself in an honourable manner and to provide a positive influence for the next generation of Virgin Islanders,” Mr Ackley in the statement, issued Thursday July 21, 2016.

Others, however, took a different route, expressing empathy for Ms Plaskett.

Holland Redfield, a former local senator and staunch Republican; a superedelegate who refused to attend the recent convention where Donald J. Trump was crowned with the party’s nomination, assailed fellow Republican Ackley for his quick-to-judgement statement, contending that Mr Ackley, vying to beat Ms Plaskett in November, had made a “terrible mistake in approving a press release making accusatory statements directed towards Congresswoman Plaskett.” Mr Redfield said Republicans must stand up to injustice.

“It appears to be a highly inappropriate attempt to politically gain from an incident where Congresswoman Plaskett may very well be the victim,” Mr Redfield said of Mr Ackley’s statement. “The statement, written by Dennis Lennox and approved by Mr Ackley was the lowest form of politics that we don’t want brought to the Virgin Islands. It seems to follow a pattern that began when Mr Lennox first appeared in the Virgin Islands and mistreated Gwen Brady.”

Mr Redfield said it remains of critical importance that authorities get to the bottom of who “distributed this personal and private video to the news media and whoever was involved should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The Consortium was sent the video and screengrab on July 6, 2016. The publication immediately brought the video to FBI agents, who began an inquiry into the matter. The publication only reported on the video after it was published on Facebook and saturated on the internet, seemingly by the same person who sent us the email, Susan Ricenville.

USVI politics has reached a new low- Christensen

Former Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen did not mince words in her repudiation of whoever leaked the video. She also lamented the level to which local politics had spiraled.

“As a person who steadfastly defended against the persistent perception of politics as “dirty”, I made a decision in 2013 to leave major election politics primarily because of the low level to which politics the Virgin Islands, even then, had descended – often out of control of even the candidates themselves. My decision to run for governor was a departure of conscience from that decision, but I have returned to it.

“With the events of the last few days Virgin Islands politics has reached a new low, but, sadly, it is only a reflection of the deterioration of societal values generally in our Territory. Nothing is sacred, not even the privacy of a married couple in their own home! Yet we let other actions that seriously threaten the fabric of our society go with hardly the bat of an eyelash.

“Many of us work so hard to convince women to run for positions of leadership, but the age old bias and pervasive double standard continue to be far greater barriers than those of motherhood and family. Unfortunately today men can still do all kinds of untoward things outside of marriage, the bounds of decency and even the law and have those actions overlooked.

“Whoever made the decision to flood the Internet with the pictures and videos, whether motivated by politics or anger over some real or perceived injury, is doing a disservice, not a service to us. Please do not be distracted by what I consider an egregious act.

Judge Delegate Plaskett on her work and service and not on the malicious, and possibly criminal, attack of a malcontent,” Ms Christensen said.