This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
Acosta Defends His Role in Epstein Plea Deal ¶
On July 10, 2019, Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta publicly defended his role in overseeing the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein on sex crimes charges in Florida over a decade ago.
Acosta said he had faced a tough choice between accepting a plea deal that was not as tough as he wished and going to trial with witnesses who were scared to testify, in what he described as “a roll of the dice” that might not have resulted in a conviction and prison term.
“I wanted to help them,” Acosta said of the victims during a nationally televised news conference at the Labor Department headquarters. “That is why we intervened. And that’s what the prosecutors of my office did — they insisted that he go to jail and put the world on notice that he was and is a sexual predator.”
Acosta’s appearance before cameras was seen as a crucial test of whether he will keep his job, with an audience of one as President Trump watched and weighed a decision. Acosta said he had spoken with Trump and believed he had his backing.
“My relationship with the president is outstanding,” he said. “He has very publicly made clear that I’ve got his support.”
Acosta also denied that Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, had suggested he be forced out.
But while expressing empathy for the victims and applauding the new prosecution in New York, Acosta declined an opportunity to apologize or offer regrets for the decision he made back then.
“Look, no regrets is a very hard question,” he said. “You always look back and you say, ‘What if?’” He added: “We did what we did because we wanted to see Epstein go to jail. He needed to go to jail. He needed to go to jail. And that was the focus.”
