Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta was largely a non-entity in Trump world until he was under consideration for attorney general. Turns out, the Miami Herald had been investigating Acosta. They posted the fruit of an epic investigation, including evidence of actions taken as a federal prosecutor in Florida that catapult Acosta from objectionable to criminal.
Acosta played a pivotal role in ensuring that a billionaire sexual predator and trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, escaped justice. Epstein arranged for young girls to be lured to him; the premise was either a modeling opportunity or an in-home massage, an opportunity to earn $200-$300 dollars, depending on whether he was abroad or home in Florida.
Epstein used these schemes to recruit, groom, and abuse young girls for years. He’d send older girls out to find younger prospects in a Ponzi scheme type of arrangement. He told them to look for “girls who were white, appeared prepubescent” as well as susceptible. For this article alone, the Herald identified 80 women he’d abused between 2001 and 2006. The total number of women he assaulted is unknown.
When Epstein’s activities began to come to light in 2005, Acosta was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which gave him almost total control over prosecutions. The FBI came up with reams of evidence; there was no shortage of physical evidence and witnesses. Acosta’s office generated a 53-page indictment. But instead of proceeding, Acosta made a deal.
There was no reason to let Epstein plead out. Even as Acosta was making this secret deal with Epstein’s lawyer—at a Marriott 70 miles from Miami—the FBI was still investigating Epstein’s misdeeds across the country.
The non-prosecution agreement effectively ended the case. In exchange for pleading guilty to two prostitution charges in state court, Epstein received just 13 months in county jail and a sex offender tag. Better yet, for Epstein, Acosta handed in a non-prosecution agreement that protected not just him but others involved in his crimes from additional consequences. He agreed to make restitution, but punished every woman who tried to collect it with nasty tactics.
Acosta violated federal law by keeping news of the bargain from, well, everyone else—including Epstein’s victims and their families. Only after the judge signed off did it become public knowledge.
What’s known already about Acosta’s role is bad enough. The Herald’s review of the thousands of documents that have come to light over a series of lawsuits generated by the original suit, and those obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, leaves no doubt that Acosta was working hard to aid Epstein and his accomplices. That’s Federal Office-Holding 101. It’s all the more mystifying in a case far from thoroughly investigated which involved sex crimes against children.
Uncomfortable as the Herald’s recent exposé was for Acosta, things may soon get even rougher. In 2009, Epstein sued the attorney representing many of the girls and women Epstein abused, Bradley Edwards. Epstein claimed that Edwards was in cahoots with Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein and using the survivors’ suits to further Rothstein’s scheme. The suit was dropped. But Edwards’s counter-suit lives on: He sued back, in essence arguing malicious prosecution and retaliation.
Discovery in the Epstein-Edwards case could easily unearth additional evidence of Acosta’s offenses. It’s also the first chance survivors of Epstein’s abuse will have to testify. Having accused Edwards of misdeeds with respect to his clients, Epstein opened the door to their participation in the trial. The first hearing is on Dec. 4 in Palm Beach County state court. May justice prevail.