Trump Labor Pick, Acosta, Will Soon Face Questions About His Prosecution Of Bill

Source: RedState | February 17, 2017 | Susan Wright

Look for this one to be front and center, once Trump’s newly named pick for labor secretary, Alexander Acosta, goes before the Senate during his confirmation hearing.

As a federal prosecutor in Miami, back in 2008, Acosta cut a deal with Jeffrey Epstein –  the billionaire investor, accused of having sex with numerous underage girls.

As the U.S. attorney for Southern Florida, Acosta agreed not to file any federal charges against the wealthy financier, Jeffrey Epstein, if he pled guilty to state charges involving soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Epstein ultimately received an 18-month sentence in county jail and served about 13 months — treatment that provoked outrage from alleged victims in the case.

Epstein has a very dirty past, and some high-named acquaintances. Among those are former President Clinton, and current President Trump.

How excited do you think Senate Democrats will be to draw that line to Trump (while ignoring the Clinton connection)?

Soon after the deal was cut in 2008, two women filed suit claiming that the decision to forgo federal prosecution violated a federal law — the Crime Victims Rights Act — because they and other teenagers Epstein paid for sex were never adequately consulted about the plea deal or given an opportunity to object to it.

Acosta is not part of the suit, but in 2015, lawyers for the women demanded Acosta submit a deposition in the case. That request was later withdrawn, as the two sides talked settlement.

Acosta’s involvement in the saga could be personally or politically awkward for Trump, drawing fresh attention to his ties to Epstein — including the financier’s tenure as a member at Trump’s Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago.

“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York Magazine back in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”

Another Trump associate offered that Trump and Epstein weren’t particularly close, but rather, Epstein was a member of one of Trump’s clubs.

For his part, Acosta points out that his office was under an immense amount of pressure to strike a deal for Epstein from his formidable defense team.

Of the big names putting pressure on Acosta’s office, were Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, Florida criminal defense attorney, Roy Black, and former Whitewater independent counsel, Kenneth Starr.

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