Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned amid criticism of the plea deal he brokered in 2008 that allowed wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal charges of sexually abusing girls as young as 14. President Trump announced Acosta's resignation, saying Acosta felt the ongoing press coverage of the plea deal was hurting the Trump administration. Acosta defended the plea deal at the time but ultimately said it was not right for the labor department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the economy.
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned amid criticism of the plea deal he brokered in 2008 that allowed wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal charges of sexually abusing girls as young as 14. President Trump announced Acosta's resignation, saying Acosta felt the ongoing press coverage of the plea deal was hurting the Trump administration. Acosta defended the plea deal at the time but ultimately said it was not right for the labor department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the economy.
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned amid criticism of the plea deal he brokered in 2008 that allowed wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal charges of sexually abusing girls as young as 14. President Trump announced Acosta's resignation, saying Acosta felt the ongoing press coverage of the plea deal was hurting the Trump administration. Acosta defended the plea deal at the time but ultimately said it was not right for the labor department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the economy.
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned amid criticism of the plea deal he brokered in 2008 that allowed wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal charges of sexually abusing girls as young as 14. President Trump announced Acosta's resignation, saying Acosta felt the ongoing press coverage of the plea deal was hurting the Trump administration. Acosta defended the plea deal at the time but ultimately said it was not right for the labor department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the economy.
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WASHINGTON – Labor Secretary Alex
Acosta resigned amid the fallout over a plea deal he
made with wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender charged with human trafficking girls as young as 14.
President Donald Trump announced Acosta's
resignation Friday morning with Acosta at his side. Trump said the secretary called him Friday morning to say that the decision to resign was his.
“I thought the right thing was to step aside," Acosta
said.
Acosta added, "I do not think it is right and fair for
this administration's labor department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the incredible economy that we have today."
In a tweet, Trump said Acosta "felt the constant
drumbeat of press" about the Epstein case and decided it "was bad for the Administration."
Trump, who had defended Acosta after Epstein's
arrest last week, praised him as a “great labor secretary, not a good one," and added, Acosta did a “very good job.”
The White House said Acosta's deputy, Pattrick
Pizzella, would become the acting labor secretary. Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
Alex Acosta informed me this morning that he felt the
constant drumbeat of press about a prosecution which took place under his watch more than 12 years ago was bad for the Administration, which he so strongly believes in, and he graciously tendered his resignation....
13.2K 7:55 AM - Jul 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy
5,810 people are talking about this
Acosta, formerly a federal prosecutor, had defended
his handling of the 2007 case and said he was "pleased" prosecutors were moving forward against Epstein, who was arrested on July 6 on charges of sex-trafficking. Epstein pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court on July 8. The indictment alleges he "sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes" in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida.
'We proceeded appropriately': Acosta defends role
in controversial Jeffrey Epstein plea deal Acosta gave a press conference on July 10 where he said Epstein would not have gone to jail without the plea deal.
"The goal here was straightforward — put Epstein
behind bars," Acosta said at a news conference.
"We believe we proceeded appropriately," he said.
Epstein case: Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein pleads not
guilty to sex-trafficking claims that 'shock the conscience'
The recent charges against Epstein drew
attention to Acosta's role in the 12-year-old plea deal and prompted calls for his resignation.
A Miami Herald investigation in November
2018 revealed Acosta, as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, had been directly involved in negotiating the 2007 deal with Epstein's lawyers. The wealthy and influential hedge fund manager agreed to plead guilty to two state felony prostitution charges, pay restitution to his victims, register as a sex offender and serve 13 months in county jail.
Newsletters Get the On Politics newsletter in your inbox. The most important news from the campaign trail, the White House, Capitol Hill and beyond. Delivery: Mon Your Email In February 2019, a federal judge ruled Acosta had broken the law in negotiating the plea deal by failing to notify Epstein's underage victims of the plea deal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among the chorus
calling for Acosta to resign.
Who is Jeffrey Epstein?:The wealthy financier is
charged with sex trafficking girls as young as 14?
In a tweet on July 8, Pelosi said Acosta "must step
down" because "he engaged in an unconscionable agreement" with Epstein, which was "kept secret from courageous, young victims preventing them from seeking justice. This was known by @POTUS when he appointed him to the cabinet. #AcostaResign."
The next day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer, D-N.Y., said he was "calling on Secretary Acosta to resign" during a speech from Senate floor. President Donald Trump defended Acosta, saying he feels "very badly" for him while calling him an "excellent" labor secretary.
"I do hear there were a lot of people involved in that
decision, not just him," the president said on July 9.
Epstein is known for his ties to powerful figures
including Trump and former President Bill Clinton. However, Trump has tried to distance himself from Epstein. On July 9, he said the multimillionaire was a fixture in Palm Beach and that he knew him, but said they had a falling out about 15 years ago.
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