Posted on 07/12/2019 6:50:27 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
Alexander Acosta will step down as Labor secretary amid mounting scrutiny over his role in negotiating a plea deal for financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Acosta announced his resignation Friday, saying that he phoned President Trump that morning to tell him he was stepping aside because he does not want his handling of the Epstein plea agreement to consume the administration.
Acosta's support on Capitol Hill began to erode in the wake of new sex trafficking charges against Epstein in New York City. Numerous Democrats in the House and Senate had called for Acosta to resign or be fired from the Trump administration.
The situation became untenable for President Trump as his allies viewed the Labor secretary as a political liability.
Prosecutors alleged that Epstein, 66, engaged in sex acts with girls as young as 14 and had young women recruit other girls to be part of an alleged sex trafficking operation. Epstein has denied any wrongdoing.
The charges brought fresh attention to Acosta’s role as a U.S. attorney who oversaw a favorable plea deal for the wealthy financier years earlier in Florida.
The 2008 agreement allowed Epstein, a hedge fund manager, to avoid federal prosecution and a possible life sentence. Instead, Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges and served roughly a year in prison.
Acosta has defended the arrangement, arguing it ensured Epstein would spend at least some time in jail and would require him to register as a sex offender.
A federal judge ruled in February that prosecutors in the case violated the Crime Victims Rights Act by failing to inform Epstein’s victims about the plea deal. The handling of the matter is under review by the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility.
Acosta was confirmed in April 2017 by a 60-38 vote and was the lone Latino member of Trump’s Cabinet. He was the president’s second choice to serve as Labor secretary after Andy Puzder withdrew from consideration in the face of ethics scandals.
Acosta was reportedly a source of frustration for some in the White House as he was slow to enact regulatory reforms sought by Trump and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.
One of the Democrats favorite defenses is,
“Yeah, but look at this Republican over here!”
This takes away that defense.
Makes it harder for them to muddy the issue.
And they are really trying to muddy the issue.
too much information ...
This would be a good time to eliminate the Department of Labor, along with most other Cabinet-level departments, save Defense, Treasury, and State.
No.
re: “Acosta has defended the arrangement, “
He didn’t double-down and feed it to the dems SUCH that they would understand.
We aren’t in normal times working with ‘normal’ people, they need something that used to be called “object lessons” so they can learn and understand (or vice versa) ...
The bus.
He done been thowed under it.
How about one.
The most memorable: James Donovan for his famous quote when he was aquitted-
'The question is, should this indictment have ever been brought? Which office do I go to to get my reputation back? Who will reimburse my company for the economic jail it has been in for two and a half years?''
One I remember was that Robert Reich under Clinton. The chief Dem Perez was another one.
He was Labor Secretary?
Since All of the People in the First Criminal Case against Epstein have received Immunity from Prosecution, Epstein included for this Case from 12 years ago, WHY ISN’T ALL THE EVIDENCE A PUBLIC RECORD and Available to everyone. That should have been Acosta answer, RELEASE ALL OF IT NOW and hand a Thumb Drive to the Press.!!
No.
This is different.
Epstein is going to take down a lot of scumbags.
There is no reason for President Trump to expend any political capital to defend an indefensible plea agreement on behalf of a profoundly corrupt and evil man with deep ties to Dems and Swampy Republicans.
And a pawn at that.
Acosta is not important.
Epstein’s vile tentacles and enablers are important.
Trump has been going after sex traffickers with a vengeance.
A lot of prominent Dems will be revealed, and their reputations destroyed. Some might even go to jail.
That is all that really needs to be said. It’s all that CAN be said.
But, unfortunately...
I agree with you, sharkboy.
Way too many federal government agencies, bureaucrats and regulations.
But we do not know for sure Acosta was involved.
I’m reading it was a local and State issue.
Not a Federal Issue.
Good riddance. Trump needs to pick better people to staff his administration.
Just lovely. Now the Dimwits get to do a confirmation hearing at election time.
Acosta got more punishment than the state, so he’s good there, but I don’t see how he can excuse not notifying the victims of the plea deal.
If Trump decided to stay in the race after the “pussy” recording was released, then Acosta can/should. Everyone except Jared was advising him to drop out, but he stuck with it — then doubled down and had Bill’s victims sitting front and center at the debate two days later. The GOP are such wimps.
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