If I ever commit a heinous and vile crime, I hope someone just like Acosta will help broker my "bring-your-jailbird-to-work" plea deal, fail to notifying my victims, and be able to keep a straight face while talking about it years later.
This administration takes shamelessness to a whole new level.
329
@D Price: Yes, if you decide to commit pedophilia on an industrial scale for years and years with everyone knowing about it but doing nothing (and that allows hundreds of children to be preyed upon) and you finally get 'caught', Acosta and Dershowitz and Ken Starr are who I'd recommend. They came through for their buddy, the predator Epstein. And call up Clinton to get his advice, I'm sure he could talk your ear off about his escapades.
14
@D Price
I hope you were equally outraged at the DA's handling of the Jussie Smollet Case as well. It appears the trend is, if you know the right people in said legal circles, you can obtain plea deals that a John Doe could only dream of.
3
@Mod
For the record, yes I was.
6
While this case is egregious in so many ways, I think it is also a primary example of how broken our judicial system is in the divergent ways it treats defendants of great means (very primarily white) versus defendants of the lower and middle classes (whites and people of color). It's difficult to imagine a person of color, convicted of a first-time drug charge, being allowed freedom from confinement for 12 hours a day, six days a week!
2
It is hard to believe Acosta's claim that prosecutors were just going to let Epstein walk - in a case involving children? There must be lawyers around who were involved in this who could refute his claims. Where are they?
1
Acosta and Barr got their current posts because they kept, and continue to keep, the justice system off Trump's back. Ross got his post because he's in on the Russian money laundering. and on and on..... The entire Trump administration is one big mafia.
6
Bye bye Mr. Acosta nice knowin ya. If you hadn't notice Trump always offers full support at then beginning and then fires them. A la Corey Lowendusky his former campaign manager and the one after Paul Manafort didnt fair much better..
1
We should be deeply concerned about our Justice Department and federal prosecutors if they cringe in fear of being out lawyered by the posse of legal guns the wealthy and well connected can hire as Acosta intimated. If this were truly the case, we might as well accept there is no justice for the majority. Federal prosecutors, who are career professionals of high caliber, should be outraged.
2
I am horrified to hear that this pig spent 13 months in jail. He spent 13 months at home, 'working', which is a disgrace!
3
So Acosta says that Epstein's crimes were of a different era, a whole decade ago. Really? That different? In what era of civilized America is it okay for a 50-plus guy to pay a fourteen-year-old and force her to have sexual contact? None that I can remember living through or reading about.
I'm not the morality police, and I believe that consenting adults can do what they like as long as they are consenting and adults - but one party in these instances was clearly not an adult. How does the Secretary of Labor not get that? (Or Epstein?!?) If this is indeed a different era, I suggest that it started with the rise of trumpism, and overall it is a far lesser era then most of the 240 years in America that came before.
4
In other words, Mr. Acosta gave Epstein a lite sentence because he got paid, big time.
Just say it and believe that persons being on the take is nothing new.
4
The Boston Globe’s exposure of abusive Catholic priests and their young victims came out in 2002.
If awareness of the dreadful nature of the exploitation of young people was low before that, it certainly was not after that. Acosta’s excuse, that 2008 was a more innocent time with regard to the horror of this type of crime and the damage it inflicts on victims, does not hold up for even one second. Anyone who supports him is complicit in what was done to these young girls.
5
"Birds of same feather flock together." Hope by now Trump has filled his swamp with liars and cheaters. Is there anybody morally competent in the Trump administration? Lawless people are at the helm to make laws! Disgraceful.
4
Labor Secretary in charge of sex trafficking.... you cannot make this stuff up.... abhorrent
5
This Epstein affair is like a clap of thunder heralding the approach of a big storm ....
5
Look how far we have come down. A minister is defending a deal that allowed a sexual predator of minor girls to walk free. This minister might be forced out not because of this case, but because his disagreements with the president's daughter. Coming from a third world country I can tell you that this would be business as usual over there. Here, impressive how far the US has fallen.
7
Attorney General William Barr's father as headmaster of Dalton school hired the 20 year old Epstein, a mathematical genius, who however did not have a college or a teaching degree, to teach calculus and physics there. One of the students was the son of Alan Greenberg, head of Bear Stearns, who gave Epstein his start as an options trader. Barr's law firm also defended Epstein in the Florida case. Despite these ties, somehow Barr will not recuse himself from the case. Acosta is full of baloney. Not only is Florida corrupt in this case but the NYPD did not enforce Epstein's check-in requirements as a sex offender. I am hoping the NY Times will report more and dig deeper and deeper as this case is finally prosecuted.
8
Can someone with legal expertise explain to me why Epstein was convicted only for soliciting prostitution when there seems to have been abundant evidence of his more egregious crimes—i.e. his statutory rape and sex trafficking of girls? The trafficking aside: How does Acosta's "sweetheart deal" compare with the outcomes of cases involving sexual abuses of minors prior to and during the "Epstein" era, across the USA (accused priests of the Roman Catholic Church, private school teachers, sports coaches, etc...)?
3
One hopes the FBI is investigating whether Acosta took bribes or was a victim of intimidation when he struck the non-prosecution deal and illegally hid it from the victims.
3
Little did we know that when Hillary Clinton referred to "a basket of deplorables," she was talking about the incoming Trump administration.
2
And meanwhile, Trump is carefully processing this Acosta information and deciding whether to throw him under the bus or praise his judicial acuity. Wow.
We've been bamboozled folks. Trump and Epstein have left a trail of abused women in their wake. Our President and a crony.
6
Lest we forget, didn't the President of the United States admit to sexually assaulting woman?
8
Fred Rick . .. why is it always about "left-right"? Us versus "them"? (Because that's easy and doesn't require thought?) Why can people like you never simpy look at the fact and make up your own mind about what's right and what's wrong in this world? Pedophilia is not about left and right, any more than is environmental issues, poverty. drug abuse and so much more. Give your head a shake.
4
I tried to watch the spineless labor secretary explain his rationale for this sickening deal he fostered. I just could not continue; when he said that the world was much different than it was in 2008 I almost threw up. Last time I checked, raping young girls was wrong and against the law in 2008. Maybe there is more of a reckoning now, but maybe not. The bottom line is that Acosta failed miserably and he needs to step down.
8
There is and will always be two criminal justice system in the United States...one for the wealthy and one for the poor. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that. If one concentrates on the victims it becomes very clear.
5
Political drama these days are more intense that their counterparts on Netflix and cable TV.
0. Protect the victims.
1. Investigate Acosta for corruption.
2. Prosecute Epstein.
3. Netflix needs to keep up.
5
2008 wasn’t that long ago. Things haven’t changed that much. Trying a billionaire for the cold-blooded, systematic sexual abuse of little girls isn’t much of a dice roll. The defense attorneys, including Dershowitz, seem to have intimidated this guy. Not much of a prosecutor.
6
Still millionaires go free while the poor are stuck in jail.
5
"Mr. Acosta said on Wednesday that his office delayed telling victims because it was not sure that Mr. Epstein would go through with the agreement, which included a provision allowing victims to seek financial restitution. If Mr. Epstein had gone to trial rather than pleading guilty, Mr. Acosta said, defense lawyers could have undercut the credibility of the victims by suggesting they were in it only for the money." Hogwash. He was legally obligated to tell them and he violated the law.
5
Acosta is rewriting history according to a former Palm Beach County district attorney. I guess in the plea deal he did not tell Epstein that he can no longer possess nude pictures of young girls. Now Trump acts like he has been estranged from Epstein over many years. It's now the norm that Trump's name appears in just about every salacious news story.
6
I hope the media digs deeper into Acosta’s role in the sordid Epstein case. For example, who were the “co-conspirators” who were given immunity? Why did our current attorney general’s father hire Epstein to teach at the prestigious Dalton school? Epstein did not have teaching credentials. Who were Epstein’s clients on Wall St? How was all his wealth generated?
5
As Colin Powell said, "you broke it, you bought it.' Be a man Acosta and step down. It's not like being associated with Trump is a good career move.
And why did you need so many flags behind you?
4
Partisanship. Period. No interest.
1
The reality is that Acosta is the ONLY prosecutor in more than a decade to actually bring a criminal charge againat Epstein to a conviction. No one else ever has.
But for political purposes, another leftist mob seeks to retroactively rewrite history about actual events. Why? Because in doing so they hope to damage Trump.
This decent into poltically driven "justice" is eerily similar to what happened in other countries (notably China and the old Soviet Union) as they moved toward poltically driven totaltarian social oppresion. The members of the mob must hope that mob will never come for them.
@Fred Rick
In reality he did NOT bring a charge or pursue his own indictment. Epstein pled to STATE charges. Your revisionism of Acosta's revisionism is indefensible.
29
@Fred Rick
I see that you have read the WSJ op-ed and are echoing its points here. Your statement is misleading. Acosta entered into a non-prosecution agreement. That’s right, he agreed NOT to prosecute Epstein on federal charges, leaving it up to the state. He was not acting out of a sense of justice for Epstein’s victims. If he had cared about the victims - who were teenage girls by the way - he wouldn’t have conducted the plea bargain in secret and off-site. More importantly, he wouldn’t have lied to the victims - in violation of the Crime Victims Rights Act - that the deal was still in the works, concealing it’s terms until after Epstein had almost completed his “sentence.”
26
@Fred Rick According to this commenter, we must be very tender about justice for people like Acosta, since supposedly they did the best they could, but not tender at all about justice for exploited and indeed forcibly raped runaway girls of middle-school age. The Trump Administration has a few silver linings. One of them is that generally inoffensive but apparently sheltered middle-aged white males like myself have had our eyes opened wide to the reality that all the worst charges against our society by women and the black community are true. Rape culture and institutional racism are real and are the foundation of the world view, and indeed the basis of the actions, of many of the men in my demographic, both older and younger than myself, including many, if not most, in positions of power. Another has been how corrupt the upper economic echelons of our society really are. It has been a profoundly shocking realization, but it is better to know the truth. Although frankly, in retrospect, it is equally shocking that it was shocking. It was there all along in plain view.
24
I remember the deal Epstein got in 2008 (the memory of it is one reason I said that Robert Kraft would beat the prostitution investigation) and I remember back then people thought it was miscarriage of justice. Another rich guy getting away with it. I am very happy to see all the participants of that deal now under public scrutiny and I truly hope that they all pay a heavy price.
6
This Acosta guy is just a spineless pawn in a much larger game.
He was told not to go hard after Epstein and he did what he was told. He is again doing what he is told now in reciting these nonsensical reasons for the sweet deal. Epstein is a piece of a much larger conspiracy that involves powerful members of both parties. If we try to make this episode about Trump, we will be failing to find justice. It is a much bigger problem than Trump.
10
Since when does raping under age girls looks different today than 10 years ago? his boss definitely doesn't think it does? he still thinks it is ok.
6
Why do humans violate each other in ways such as this? The individual and collective struggle of our species continues to astound me.
2
Mr. Acosta does not go into the 13 month sentence during which Mr. Epstein could go to his office six days of the week. That basically says that he was on a work release sentence, spending only Sundays in jail for 13 years. That type of prison for his type of crime is abhorrent.
4
Piff-paff. Bottom-line: he was given a tap on the wrist for a very serious crime because of his enormous wealth. And because of that he went on to commit more of the same. Justice is not blind and the wealthy very often skate on crimes that would bury an individual with a normal bank account.
5
A quick look at the comments already posted seems to suggest that most posters think that Acosta was an independent agent in this (non)sentence.
However to me it is blindingly obvious that Epstein was running a 'honey trap', probably for one of the high intel agencies such as CIA, NSA. Look at how little coverage the original conviction generated. The people who visited this operation were mainly high profile businessmen and politicians. i guarantee you that the clients were filmed for future leverage (read blackmail) and the (non)sentence ensured minimum disruption to the operation.
12:15 pm GMT.
4
Birds of a feather flock together, or so the old saying has it. It should be no surprise that with Trump in the White House he is surrounded by equally repulsive vultures enjoying the spoils. The next administration's first duties will be to try to stop and, wherever possible undue the damage done by these miscreants. A possible second Trump administration would be an invitation to some Julius Caesar to take over Washington with an army and set up some kind of empire to replace an obviously failed republic ala ancient Rome.
3
"Mr. Acosta said, defense lawyers could have undercut the credibility of the victims by suggesting they were in it only for the money." Seriously, victims who came forward BEFORE any plea deal containing restitution was negotiated would be accused of being in it only for the money? I am not an attorney but wouldn't prosecutors have been able to debunk this by stating these victims had no way of knowing about restitution unless they were able to predict the future! Spin, spin, spin.
4
Big problem for decades when rich guys like Epstein & their high priced lawyers skip the full weight of justice and a long jail sentence by making deals with government prosecutors and they go on with their crime like business as usual.
Epstein won't get a deal now but it's much too late after Acosta did not take his crime all the way before a Jude & Jury.
In England, men like Acosta in government positions resign but in our nation they hang on - sometimes thinking an apology will keep them in office.
They don't think about the victims when a sleaze bag like Epstein cuts a deal and he's free to do more harm.
Acosta needs to resign or be fired by Trump - but I'm not holding my breath for it to happen.
4
When i heard about this, I immediately wondered if Mr Acosta was paid off? We'll never know if there's a Swiss bank account in his name. Work release in jail is barely a slap on the wrist vs all those young girls' lives changed forever. Is it the Me Too movement that is making the SDNY take this case seriously? I hope his assets are liquified and spread among his victims as retribution.
3
I was always surprised by Alan Dershovitz’ support for Trump. Could he have more than a lawyerly interest in this sex scandal along with Trump?
6
"Mr. Acosta offered a clinical explanation of the 2008 plea deal"
Clinical, and deeply cynical. I also found that knowing smirk he wore throughout the news conference quite sickening.
And as for the suggestion that we didn't know way back then (he made it sound like the Middle Ages) what we know now? No, Mr. Acosta: even in 2008, we knew that the sexual exploitation of children is depraved, evil and criminal.
"For Mr. Acosta, the real question was how his defense would go over with the president". I would have thought that the 'real question' is the one famously put by Joseph Nye Welch: "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
3
Pathetic? Yes, Acosta was pathetic but out of the three choices he had (apologize, vigorous defense, or obscure), obscure was the most calculating and typical for someone trying to defend his actions without mounting a more preposterous, screaming defense of the indefensible. It was a backhanded defense at the level of, "I did the best that I could under challenging circumstances, yada, yada, yada." As a matter of fact, Acosta said that he did what he did, "in the best interests of the victims". Really?
Did that put anyone, at all, at ease or amount to a credible explanation? Only those who assumed that he was right to begin with based on nothing but his current affiliation with Donald Trump. The fact that he got away with it in the first place indicates that there must be an audience for that sort of malfeasance. Come to think of it, that's virtually the entire Federal government. Nothing out of place there.
The man was charged (and empowered) with the mandate of serve and protect. He had the resources of (as Trump is wont to remind us) the most powerful government on the face of the earth. The fact that he did that so ably (for a rich, powerful, and well-connected predator) explains why he was Trump's pick for "Secretary of Labor". Secretary of Labor? Yikes! The man is charged with "protecting" the American worker? Fat chance there.
If the American public now feels that they are truly living in Wonderland that's not a sign of dementia or aberrant perception. It's a fact.
2
“But the case is acutely uncomfortable for Mr. Trump, who at one point in the past socialized with Mr. Epstein...”.
Yes, I should think it would be, considering that Trump has been accused of raping a young girl with Epstein some years ago.
How does Trump continue to Houdini his way out, time after time?
8
He seems to enjoy felonious behavior, and to be an expert at pretending any crime was a noble effort.
It is no wonder Epstein was treated so well. Acosta was a defense attorney inexplicably placed as a prosecutor.
2
Just another non apology from one of Trump's acolyte. In addition to signing a loyal oath, are they also sworn never to say they are sorry or maybe they made a mistake?
2
Acosta was clearly corrupt before becoming Labor Secretary. It's been reported that Epstein's attorneys (Ken Starr among them how ironic) threatened to expose Acosta and his band). We can assume that being "boys" they gotten themselves into some hot water. Hence the deal with Epstein to make sure none of it got out. Well Alex you just had to become dump's labor sec. If you'd just taken the money and gone off to private practice all would be well. Your pride and ego has led to your eventual downfall. Now it is time for the girls to get some justice.
2
Part of the problem with Acosta's self-serving explanation about all this is that, as a member of the Trump administration, he simply has absolutely no credibility. Is he lying through his teeth as his boss routinely does? How is the public to know? In the age of "fake news," as Trump routinely claims, and in the era of "alternative facts," as Kellyanne Conway puts it, and against a backdrop of quotidian and baldfaced lying from the man at the top of this administration who, presumably, sets its moral as well as its political compass, why on Earth should we believe a word out of Acosta's mouth now that the chickens have come home to roost? For Acosta, welcome to the reality of associating yourself with an amoral president. And for America, let us not forget that Epstein's predations' coming to light is not due to prosecutorial zeal but to the indefatigable work of a journalist - yes, a member of that profession that Trump routinely maligns as "the enemy of the people."
1
Fascinating but what is equally interesting is when Trump was closely socialising with Epstein in the 1970s and 80s going out at nightspots in NYC , what was Epstein behaviour and reputation then? Trump is on record acknowledging Epstein interest in young females... so how did he know that?
1
The Democrats are going after Alexander Acosta because they hate Donald Trump. They went after William Barr for the same reason. Mr. Acosta should stay snd fight. They have been trying to get rid of President Trump since his election. How has that worked out for the haters. The only thing that the Democrats are accomplishing is losing the 2020 presidential race. Good work.
How did we arrive at this vacuum of inconsequence? Where grown men can stick their staff into not-fully-grown young women and (for a time at least) suffer not at all?
Whenever no answer makes sense the answer is Money.
2
Acosta's press conference was deliberately designed to be a white-wash. It was structured to shield Acosta, not inform the public.
The press conference was held on short notice. Inevitably, reporters who showed up weren't sufficiently armed with the facts. I'd bet 90% or more of them never read the Miami Herald expose or the 53-page indictment. It's for sure few or none personally interviewed the victims.
Reporters' questioning was weak and compliant, little or no follow-up. It was a disgrace.
When Acosta is subpoenaed to testify before Congress the committee would be best advised to leave the questioning to committee lawyers. Bunny rabbits rarely do well when questioning a fox.
3
Be thankful for Julie Brown of the Miami Herald for keeping this story alive for all to read. Support local and national newspapers folks. It’s one of the best things for a healthy democracy, and vote of course.
10
It was clear Acosta's remarks were focused on an audience of one. There was absolutely no empathy for those that were victimized by Epstein. What if one of the victims was his daughter? sister? He basically admitted Epstein's status and wealth played a role in getting the break none of us would get. And his story was quickly debunked by the former Palm Beach County State Attorney. In the end, the system failed these women (then girls), and the one who managed the system was Acosta. Another example of only "the best" that trump continuously surrounds himself with. This won't go way. Acosta needs to.
7
"OK Mr Epstein, This what we are going to do. All previous negotiations concerning this matter are null and void. Neither party will be bound by any representations made.
My office will coordinate with all investigative agencies having jurisdiction over the alleged violations and they will pursue these allegations forcefully and fully.
Subsequently, we will see what facts, in our judgement, we can prove at trial.
Have a good day."
3
It could also be seen to be about the rule of law which is a basic underpinning of all else. The case taps into our striving to be a country of laws, not men, necessary for one based on the idea that all people are created equal. There are more important issues, yes; but I sense a visceral need, in all the ambiguous cacophony and lies surrounding us to get at least this one clear, brazen miscarriage of justice righted.
1
If there hadn't been a Floridian AG, Pam Bondi, accepting a bribe from Trump to let him off the Trump University scam hook, there'd be no President Trump. If the Floridian US attorney dealing with the claims against Epstein and Trump from women molested as minors had duly done his job and done them justice, there'd be no President Trump.
An non-panhandle U.S. attorney had to intervene for anything to start moving in the direction of justice.
Meanwhile the injustices of gerrymandering, gutted voting rights, and unlimited dark corporate spending on advancing their predatory agenda over the common good in political campaigns have been administered or rubber stamped by the Federal or should I write Feral Supreme Court?
Looks like it's time for an intervention where the Fe(de)ral and Floridian benches and Justice Departments get repealed, cleaned up, and replaced.
Unfortunately the intervention has gone the other way in a fascist coup perpetrated by a select clique of fascist Masters of the Predatory Corporate Universe. Clique is too soft and euphemistic to describe them. It's a gang. MS13, meaning Moguls Spoiling 13-year olds, or Men Shattering 13-year old dreams, lives, and aspirations.
They clawed the Justice Departments and the benches and put their submissive and subordinate tools inside on the relevant seats of power to sway 'justice' their way.
Thomas, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch can't wait till when they can sway things further to the "right" of men trumping (minor) women.
17
This is getting interesting. I predict that Alexander Acosta will resign his cabinet position, and we will next see him representing Jeffrey Epstein in federal court. What a guy!
6
Does he have enough American flags? He must be guilty to need so many.
8
Acosta won't resign, look at his boss, Trump, look at his entire administration, look at the two new arrivals at the Supreme Court, particularly Kavanaugh. We are all doomed, and women even more, in the hands of all these men. It'd revolting.
9
The "amazing" Acosta - trying so desperately to dance to the sounds of hollow promises and empty empathy.
Frankly, I am bamboozled by just how "tough" Acosta truly believed or thought or assumed Epstein's plea deal was.
4
One, Acosta, like many who rise to these levels of success, has his own ambition as his primary concern. Acosta’s argument at his press conference yesterday was utterly unbelievable and condescending to the American people. Anyone who balked that easily in an effort to get justice for the underaged girls Epstein victimized does not have the moral strength to serve as Sec of Labor on behalf of the American people.
Two, and this is speculation, but if you have read The Mueller Report, you know that much of it is redacted due to ongoing investigations. Those investigations sit in the SDNY. The new charges against Epstein are out of the SDNY’s office of public corruption. Further, there is another FBI investigation concerning China re the Robert Kraft case in Florida and the proprietor of the palm Beach/Jupiter Florida massage parlor where Kraft was caught on camera receiving “services.” The owner had been touting her connection to Trump and in fact, seems to have received extraordinary privileges of access to a President for an owner of a massage parlor which was really a front for a prostitution and human trafficking ring.
Between Mr. Mueller’s stellar team, the grit of the SDNY, the dogged reporting of Ms. Julie Brown of The Miami Herald, and the reporting that stems from here, I think Trump and others are going down.
9
Why all these front-page articles on sex crimes? The real issues are accidental nuclear war, global warming, health care, economics, trade wars, education, science, and how to help the bottom half of our population. Please teach us about these issues.
2
@kevin Cahill, I am surprised and saddened that the exploitation and miscarriage of justice of hundreds of under aged girls by some of the most powerful men in the world is not worthy of front page news to you. I think you help explain exactly how these sort of horrendous cases are ignored. And, your view affirms that we obviously need a lot more women in positions of power.
2
I suspect that one of the reasons that Trump chose Acosta as Labor Secretary is because he knew from previous dealings with him (their association goes back many years) that he was 'malleable' or in other words would do and say whatever Trump wanted. His handling of the Epstein case in 2008 told Trump every thing he needed to know.
So just another example of the endless parade of inept and often corrupt officials chosen by 'our dear leader'.
9
These young ladies deserve justice, and that starts with figuring out how and why Epstein was given such a sweetheart plea deal. It's also imperative that those who had anything to do with Epstein's egregious acts be exposed. If they were complicit or it merely existed in their periphery, let's figure out who they are and what they know. Several high-power politicians were the recipient of big-dollar donations from Epstein, and many even spent time with him on his plane, which The Intercept reported was disturbingly referred to as the "Lolita Express."
Because these are children, our outrage is warranted. But let us not forget the scores of children being trafficked globally, and the thousands more who have been molested by religious figures, who have acted with impunity. They deserve our outrage, too. Though more importantly, they deserve justice.
4
The companion article makes clear that Acosta lied today, and I say lied because he had obviously done his homework, referred to communications at the time, and still manages to pulverize the facts to exonerate himself. It would be so refreshing to hear a guy say, yeah, I totally blew it. Yeah, the defense attorneys were breathing fire down my neck, or I worried they were going to destroy my career, or, I lost sight of mattered in the case, which was justice and some sense of closure for the victims, or,even, I did not think it was a big deal at the time but times have changed. Anything real. Anything honest. But instead we get what we always get from this administration led by Trump: preposterous, self-serving, easily verifiable lies leaving the lot of us ever divided by party about what are the simple facts. And it's not just about this case, it's immigration, it's the census question, it's global warming. It's destroying our country and driving us mad.
4
As much as I dislike Trump, I find Acosta to be both credible and convincing in presenting his case. He is both polished and measured in his argument (presented under colossal hostile scrutiny and pressure). With such admirable qualities, one wonders how this man came to work in the Trump administration in the first place. One indisputable fact that has been presented in his favor was the massive Epstein legal goon squad sent out to smear and intimidate any and all on the prosecution team. It is only logical to assume that Acosta (who no doubt was on the wrong end of this stick) was itching to pin Epstein's ear back and would have had he been able to do so.
Lots of terrible people are “polished and measured.”
1
Ivanka Trump has said publicly that her mission is to fight trafficking. The Feinstein case and Acosta's role in handling the case are newsworthy. Yet, Ivanka has remained silent about this case. If fighting this crime is her passion then now would be a good time to speak up.
3
I read recently that the Labor Department under Secretary Acosta has cut size labor department's budget for fighting trafficking. I hear the cut is an 80 percent cut. If that is correct then Acosta's dedication to fighting this crime seems weak. And may explain the reason he gave Epstein a sweetheart deal.
2
I think we need to look the bigger picture here, Acosta is just a piece of a puzzle, probably a small piece. There's more powerful people behind him that somehow forced him to accept this deal. Either he was promised something, he or his family was threaten, or they may have had some dirt on him, maybe he joined one of Mr. Epstein's parties? Clearly if the plea deal includes four unnamed accomplices, one would wonder: Who were these people? President Trump, President Clinton, El Chapo, who knows but I bet Acosta did not just come to think this plea deal is a 'the best deal possible' for this case on his own.
18
A Hall Of Mirrors Of Sleaze. Wait til next year!
7
I’m going to start breaking federal laws, since apparently in America there are no consequences for men like Epstein or men in positions of responsibility like Acosta. Both should be looking at jail sentences.
8
Calling those creeps "men" is quite the stretch. The two truly subceed our worst expectations of men.
To your main point, perhaps a kind-hearted billionaire can make us all corporations. I wonder if Robert F. Smith would've served the Morehouse graduates even better by not paying their debt but forming a Delaware LLC for every single one of them. Corporations seem to have unlimited rights and debt, and never seem to truly die—especially when (as with, say, EA *gags*) they really, REALLY should.
Since not even a Pelosi administration (just two impeachments away *daydreams*) would end their immense power, someone nice may as well give it to all of us. Then corporations really WOULD be people.
Just more Stalinist show trial from our Sovietized mass-media and deep swamp co-conspirators attacking Trump whenever possible. Says desperation because their DNC Politburo candidates don't have a chance, save Biden and he's a marked man--too reasonable for Cortez et al.
4
How devastating must it be to have attended arguably the finest law school in the country and risen to nearly the farthest reaches of government law enforcement to now being reduced to telling lies to the entire country and attempting to cover up for what has been ruled as criminal behavior. This is how your legacy ends? In a trash heap?
19
This is over 10 years old. Where was the outrage when Acosta was being confirmed? Again, Congress is asleep at the wheel.
6
He is the only one that actually prosecuted Epstein so far. So give him some credit.
3
@Joe Yo
Actually, he DID NOT prosecute.
He gave Epstein a NONPROSECUTION AGREEMENT in return for a very flaky agreement for Epstein to plead to two minor offenses.
He gets enough credit to buy a bagel.
11
By he didn’t. That’s the point.
6
@Joe Yo
This article and the two that Ms. Brown followed with are a must read.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html
3
Acosta is no Day 1 Sean Spicer nor insufferable make believer Sarah Huckabee Sanders. He’s a Harvard-trained lawyer now doing the bidding of a man-child who is considered intellectually inept and was once a middling student with bone spurs. How humiliating.
16
The prosecutors were doing the defense lawyers' work for them by intimidating their own witnesses. Prosecutors obviously did not want victims to testify -- which allowed prosecutors to claim witness (reticence) refusal to justify the decision to make the charges against Epstein to essentially go away. This on its face is shocking and needs to be thoroughly investigated -- with the potential of indictments on the table.
7
Was Epstein required to register as a sex offender with his local police. If so Mr Acosta did his job. If not he did not.
@D.j.j.K. Epstein has homes in a number of jurisdictions. For instance, in New Mexico he owns a 7500 acre ranch. Epstein was not required to register as a sex offender in NM because the only count on which he pleaded guilty involved an alleged 16-yr-old and it is only crimes perpetrated on those UNDER 16 that require registration as a sex offender in NM. In reality, there were many girls under 16 whom Epstein abused but Acosta & his team agreed to Epstein’s lawyers’ choice of the count against the 16-yr-old. So Acosta did his job, all right, only he was apparently working for Epstein back then, not the American people.
21
Acosta was sworn to uphold the law...and he failed spectacularly Laws to protect children from predation are the core of civilization. Why did Acosta fail such a fundamental moral imperative??
11
Acosta was appointed by the bigot-in-chief, who also has no morals.
9
Barry Krischer, the Palm Beach County state's attorney at the time of the Epstein case investigation a decade ago, called Acosta's account, which alleged Krischer was prepared to let Epstein walk without serving jail time until Acosta's office stepped in, "completely wrong."
"Mr. Acosta's should not be allowed to rewrite history," Krischer said in his statement.
Read the entire article at https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/452527-former-florida-state-attorney-pushes-back-against-acosta-account-of
All of Trump's Cabinet embers are pathological liars. Every one of them.
13
Privilege and power . That’s what the next revolution will be fought to end.
8
Wasn't there one like that in 1789?
3
To the New York Times editorial staff,
This is not journalism. Reacting to social media uproar and making this story headline news on your mobile app when in the same day there a new presidential candidate entered the race with perhaps the largest war chest in the DNC, escalation of the Iran conflict, and climate changes induced “freak” storms in Greece.
Relinquishing to the news cycle around Josh Epstein which undoubtedly tied into social metrics and monitoring that showed its “popularity” and “virality” on social, is not news. Why don’t you spend a news cycle figuring out how to make climate stories viral, something that is desperately needed, as opposed to succumbing to the most basic, horrid story of the day.
Covering virality is not how the NYT became the NYT. Please invest in stories that matter or you risk losing subscribers, as this story was ‘covered’ on social media.
1
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world..." Acosta had to walk into role of Trump's US Secretary of Labor.
Some gin joint.
10
Acosta’s arguments ring hollow. He needs to step down. He is utterly compromised and has no credibility in his role as Labor Secretary given how poorly he represented the rights and interests of victims.
9
The county jail has a private wing?
8
Acosta dropped the ball, then kicked it under the bed. Initially, he saw how weak the state charges were and instead of stepping in with the federal force he had available, he let Epstein go virtually scot-free, despite the appalling evidence: thirty girls molested and Epstein even photographing some of his conquests---a child pornography charge which would have cemented all the others. But Acosta looked the other way, even refusing at this late date to make any apology for the terrible suffering of those children he totally betrayed. I wonder how he can live with himself.
9
Epstein (and the cronies on his island or at his houses with him) raped children. And Epstein hired a woman - a procuror - get girls into his clutches. How does he get a plea deal? These are our daughters, sisters, cousins, friends. Don't they deserve better?
Strip him of his wealth and distribute it to his victims. And demand that Acosta step down and then be charged for aiding and abetting a monster.
9
If only we inhabited a morally just nation instead of this endless, spiritually and ethically bankrupt tsunami of soulless men and women.
6
@René Pedraza Del Prado Really - I've not yet heard an Evangelical leader comment on this.
Please prove me wrong.
1
It is easy to find fault with a prosecutor and play arms chair QB.
Here is Chicago prosecutors routinely makes deals and people literally get away with murder
Do those prosecutors hide the deal from the victims and the public?
2
What % of the prison population is afforded the privilege of checking out for 12 hours per day 6 times a week? And who makes that decision to permit such a luxury for a convicted felon?
Who were the people involved in granting Epstein that privilege?
17
"unnamed co conspirators"
It's a mushy phrase, easy to skip over. But think about what it means.
I sure hope that Acosta pocketed a really really large bribe to direct this miscarriage of justice.
4
I really hope that we get to the truth of all of this. If the allegations that Acosta brokered a sweet-heart deal for political purposes and intentionally violated the law in order to protect an influencer are accurate, then we have something much more serious than a resignation. We should dissect this to understand how the legal system works for the powerful. Acosta should cooperate fully to understand how this deal came about and why victims were not notified of it. This fact-finding should not end even if Acosta steps down.
5
More Trumpian sleaze, but it just feels like the New Normal.
Acosta was playing a rather shady second-rate lawyer for himself at his embarrassing public defence before a judge and jury of one who is about to hang him out to dry with ALL his other shady former employees.
I thought: Wow, what a cheap performance - I'm glad he's not my lawyer...
4
Acosta's excuses are a joke. I think Trump picked him for Labor Secretary because he knew he was corrupt. It seems to be a requirement to work in Trump's cabinet. It's hard to fathom how low we have gone in our country under Trump. Republicans never cared about law and order apparently. It was all just a slogan for the thick as a brick.
8
How Low Can the Trump Administration Depths of Depravity Go?
11
Everything always comes out. If Acosta really wanted to help the victims, if he had done his job, Epstein would have been jailed for the rest of his life. Wealth doesn't make you a better person or someone who is above the law. Women and children who have been violated, raped, molested must be important enough to protect and the perpetrators of rape, molestation and violence toward them must be punished.
11
Why am I not surprised that the only President that would pick a guy like Acosta for a cabinet position is Donald Trump. After all Trump is a self admitted predator and sexual assaulter of women. All you have to do is watch and listen to the Access Hollywood tape. I would like to see who ever is the Democratic nominee running for President play that tape over and over again during the campaign, followed by the question to his women supporters. “How can you still support this guy”?
9
Trump is not going to fire this secretary. He can't. Acosta knows where the Trump victims are buried.
6
Acosta and Trump are using Pelosi's guideline for accountability.
She has made it very clear over the last 6-months,
..there is none.
I blame Nancy for this.
4
Thank you, Sean Hannity.
27
I'm wondering if the plea deal Mr. Acosta brokered provided for conjugal visits with paid companions.
9
Acosta should resign immediately. He should serve time in prison along with Epstein. Acosta is responsible for the abuse of these girls for the past 12 years. Trump’s name will come up in the investigation/trial. Acosta is as crooked as trump, and trump is as depraved and perverted as Epstein. Three of a kind.
23
Thank you, Amm Savaldore. Depraved is the right word for Trump, Epstein and Acosta.
4
@Ann Salvadori
How is Acosta responsible when the NYPD and NY state refused to enforce the judge's orders that Epstein check in every 90 days, like every other sex offender?
Every sex offender of his level in NY state is required to check into police every 90 days.
Epstein argued that he shouldn't do that because his main residence is his private island. The judge didn't buy that, and stated that Epstein should sell his NYC mansion if that's the case. Of course he didn't sell his mansion, and of course the judge mandated that the 90 day check in period applies to his release. It was never enforced by the NYPD or Vance.
4
To those readers who are under 50 I offer this tidbit of history:
During the 1980's as the United States was beginning to learn about AIDS/HIV. there was another virus called Epstein-Barr Virus or EBV for short. The symptoms were many and varied.
Some were tiredness, muscular aches, short term memory loss, etc, yada yada. There was even discussions that somehow it was tied into the AIDS situation. My experience was I was dating a woman who was about 40. Bright, smart had a good job working for one of the major oil companies in Houston.
About 2 years into our relationship she was diagnosed as having EBV. We stayed together for another 18 months but
then broke up for unrelated reasons. Her company's insurance was wonderful and due to her long tenure and popularity people pitched in to cover her absences and she was able to go on disability. Unfortunately she met someone else who gave her AIDS and because of her auto-immune system being compromised she died within 2 years.
Another friend gave her a job in California but we stayed friends throughout her struggles. I saw her a few days before she died in Houston.
Sally was never as interested in politics as I have become but she would have found it amusing that the names of Epstein and Barr are being linked together and seem to be inflicting Trump. She definitely would not have been a Trump supporter.
13
I’m so very sorry for your loss. The fact that she was infected by both of those terrible viruses is just awful. I, too, believe that she would have laughed as well. Hold on to your memories of her.
5
I just wonder why we aren't talking about Hillary's missing emails.
10
Sarcasm and satire don’t work here.
12
Greg, we have to focus. Clearly one Obama’s fault. Fox News has been touting all day how Obama is culpable because he was president when this deal was made in 2008... Of course, if you recall, Obama didn’t became president till 2009 but we can’t let facts get in the way.
4
I heard Acosta stress over and over that this guy, Epstein, had to go to jail. He had to go to jail. So they did something that ensured he went to jail.
So to jail he went.
For about a year. Nights only. In his own private wing with no oversight (nor remaining record) of who was allowed to visit him and when.
Let's not pretend Epstein was punished.
It's all been a game to him up to this point. And Acosta played his supporting role perfectly.
24
Trump, Epstein and Acosta... birds of a feather.
9
The silence of the evangelicals is deafening.
Praise Jesus, y'all.
24
The New York Times and all other newspapers need to make an independent giant investigation on the “Epstein Gate”.
There is something fishy, every single commenter is aware of the links between the Lolita Express, Trump, Clinton, the island, Palm beach and more.
Time to make a true journalism and to discover the truth.
10
Why has this been top story for a week? Moral panic?
3
1) Nobody knows where Epstein's money comes from, who his clients are, how successful of a track record he has and yet he is a "billionaire"
2) He has had top tier defense lawyers AND federal and state prosecutors defend him
3) He has been associated with 2 US Presidents, British Royalty and ruthless Saudi prince
4) He has been molesting teenage girls for 20 years or more, AND
5) He has a trove of pictures....does anyone think they are JUST of Epstein and the girls?
6) Remember how hard Kraft recently fought to not have pictures and videos released of his massage parlor escapades?
I bet we will never see Epstein's pictures nor know who are the unmentioned co-conspirators.
27
this guy is the labor secretary?
6
@badbikemechanic Yes - including in charge of human trafficking. He wanted to cut that budget by 80% but couldn't. Meanwhile Melania and Ivanka work against human trafficking.
I'm confused. Perhaps they need to check in with Donald.
6
Trumps ladies do not "work on human trafficking" nor anything else of importance. Their "work" is limited to brand building, shopping, hair and makeup, and wink wink "work" done in a plastic surgeon's office. Stop making them normal.
8
“ I wanted to help them “.....the highest demonstration of hypocrisy and collusion by a public official.
So shameful and immoral .
He must go !
25
Who are the coconspirators in this case? If their identies are protected, are they forever protected? Can the Southern Distsrict of NY drag them into court? Are any coconspirators named Trump?
15
@jr I have no idea - but that was settled then but what about since lawyers - can they?
1
He didn't inform the victims of the deal. That's all you need to know that the fix was in.
17
What a pathetic response. He did nothing for the victims then and thereafter. The best deal available was to let the predator go to work daily? Do all predators get a deal like that? This case is so mired in filth. I can’t wait to have the women speak and all the co conspirators get their sentencing.
19
@ Sheeba... read the article again (or for the first time?). Acosta had nothing to do with Epstein being able to go to work and leave the prison after the sentence. Acosta went on the record a long time ago criticizing that decision.
4
Acosta is the reason Epstein wasn’t in a federal prison doing real time.
10
@Martini
No, he isn't. Read the article. The state prosecutor says the grand jury heard all the evidence and was willing to charge only one minor solicitation crime. The Feds were never going to be able to convict on more serious charges.
1
There is a simple test of the fairness and quality of such a plea deal, which is: When the pros and cons and alternatives are weighed by the victims collectively, how do they see it?
This is exactly why their participation is built into the law, and the fact that they were excluded is exactly why the perpetrators of this deal are all low, subhuman men of morally rotted souls -- especially Acosta, as the main representative of the victims in the case.
But, too, where was the judge's soul when this case put it to the test?
Regarding Epstein's attorneys, we already know that Dershowitz will stoop to defend anything, no matter how vile, if the price is right. And don't get me started on that law thug for hire, Kenneth Starr.
15
@Bill Really. Thinking Dershowitz is not so worried about being invited to dinners in the Hamptons this summer.
2
Folks , welocome to the new normal that trump has ushered in. Get caught failing to do your public service job, don’t resign , dig in, fight back, and deny the evidence.
A nation run by al Capone and Caligula
21
All these women who accede to their husbands politicd. Its like an alternate reality. Totally disconnected from the objectification of women by men like these. Truly abhorrent that this man is still in office. Methinks the Republican Congress stinks.
7
I am so desperately hoping that Epstein kept compromising photos of his important friends and that these have been or will be found. Bring em all down, don’t care which political party they are.
31
@Tim
That camera footage he has of Trump and others has to be somewhere. I hope they find it
11
Speaker Pelosi instead of declaring Acosta should resign for not prosecuting Epstein.....
Why not focus Speaker Pelosi on your oath to defend and protect the constitution (on your responsibility/ actual authority) and initiate impeachment proceeding on The Criminal in Chief a sexual predator (at least 22 sexual assaults).
Pelosi you have two duties to accomplish to unify our country.
Protect innocent refugees (women and kids) and impeach the criminal living in our White House.
10
@libel
There is ZERO chance of the Senate convicting Individual-1.
2
@Blank
No problem then McConnell and the other 21 Senate cult members up for re election can defend their not guilty vote to their constituents. I am sure Collins , Ernst, McSally and McConnell to name a few can hardly wait to defend the Criminal Con Man Rapist in Chief while debating the likes of Amy McGrath and Mark Kelly .
2
It's so obvious, Epstein belongs in jail for life. Acosta belongs in jail for as long as the jury and judge deem necessary. Hopefully this won't drag out for too long. We'd like to see the end of trump and his cohorts. Every day is a new scandal and it's past exhausting.
20
At this point of this administration we are so deep into jump the shark territory, that - if it was a movie - only the most ridiculous plot point could save us.
I fear our nation will collapse instead.
17
@CitizenTM save the hyperbole and exaggerations because we've long been in decline. All Trump has done is accelerate it. To paraphrase Chomsky, Trump is the nominal figure in charge and we just obsequiously follow his bluster. Things aren't going to get better until the system is overhauled.
If Trump had been President from 2008 to 2015 and Obama was our President now, the press would be blaming Trump and his then Attorney General for approving this "deal". And Obama would be praised for appointing Acosta - a minority - as Labor Secretary.
5
@Greg Good grief - now there is a novel way of blaming Obama.
16
Greg, Bush was President in 2008. Turn off Fox News!
9
The Comments on this article are frightening in their deep animus and general willingness to savage a person connected to a political enemy.
Very creepy. Very sad. Not for the points raised but for the tone and certitude.
Scary.
5
Seriously??? “...frightening in their deep animus”? You must surely be referring to the delusional and spiteful Trump defenders of the uniquely unqualified and ignorant people who have absolutely NO clue about the disastrous monster in OUR White House.
15
@Stuart
A judge got to Acosta first. Acosta broke the law by not informing Epstein's young victims and their lawyers that he was throwing them under the bus by brokering a sweetheart deal with Epstein's lawyers in secret with out their knowledge.
5
Seems like the young women were basically not important! If only Epstein had been given the sentence he should have served, how many dozens of young lives would have been different?!!
22
@JS ASHWORTH Thinking NYSD has a new case......or cases.
4
Ho hum, another day, another Trump official defending the indefensible and blaming others. A rich guy mostly got away with the unspeakable.
He claims he got the toughest deal he could.
But give him this much - at least he got some kind of criminal penalty on Epstein.
So remind me again of all the vigorous action taken by the Obama DOJ on the crimes, lies, and incredible incompetence of the George W. Bush administration. Remind me again of how Pelosi is leaving no stone unturned to build a case for impeachment of Trump and others given what we already know.
7
Larry, he could have kept investigating until he had a stronger case. But according to SDNY, there was already a mountain of evidence to put Epstein away. Acosta let the defense write his non-prosecutorial agreement and hid it from everyone. But it was a different time back then. People thought thought the earth was flat, dinosaurs roamed the earth.
6
He should be investigated. Resignation and going away quietly is probably too good for him. Why did he act as he did and what did he get in return?
9
How do you defend gutter behavior, unless you are a participant yourself, and not be stained by association. Is it plausible that the price was so lucrative that it defied all ethics? Please resign Mr. Acosta.
6
"His comments did little to quell the furor over the deal,"
And because Democrats had no intention to quell the furor. They want his head so that Trump's head will eventually have company when the Democrats get THAT!
Acosta made a reasonable choice and we can always judge differently after the fact. But there is no truth of the matter. The only truth is that the Democrats are out for blood.
5
What a ridiculous comment. The man more than deserves to be charged to the fullest extent of the law, as should Trump. Shame on you for defending serial sexual predators.
10
@Cathy Moore Trump had nothing to do with the event in Florida. And Acosta himself is not a sexual predator. He arranged for a lighter sentence for Epstein than YOU might have liked. Sorry but that does not make Acosta a sexual predator.
Epstein is clearly Jewish. Do I detect a hint of anti-semitism in your remarks? He went to prison. "Not long enough" you say. "Get Acosta" you say. Oh well, vengefulness will have its day.
To be crystal clear Psychologists have reported for quite some time ( long before 2008 ) the impact of abuse and how the brain can often suppress the feelings and recollections of the victims of abuse. So Mr Acosta, would you like to rephrase your statement?
12
I look forward to seeing Brave Donald cave. What with him being a stalwart of friends and all.,
Next Tuesday, you figure?
6
It's not worth fighting for Mr. Acosta's ouster.
I would say, "Cool down, Democrats," there are more important fights to undertake. Let this one slide.
True, he apparently lied. So. Is that worse than the president's lies?
Dwell on impeachment proceedings, systematically without much fanfare. It may not work. It will have a tremendous impact on the 2020 elections, not all will be negative.
Do not give an impression that Democrats are more interested in opposing the president than legislating.
Pass some moderately progressive legislations, such as a $15 federal minimum wage. And a payroll tax-cut on the initial $10K to 1% and the second $10K to 2%, and to lifting the cap on payroll tax, but cut it again to 1% beyond say, $250-500K, to be less unpalatable to the rich, and to lengthen social security solvency.
Perhaps pass another two or three higher marginal tax rates of 40% on over $1 million, 45% on over $5 million and 50% on over $10 million. If passed in the House, which maybe possible if Speaker Pelosi tries harder. Let all or most of them die in the Senate, but that can be used as talking points in 2020 elections, which the vast majority of voters would understand and support.
4
@A.G. But - what about human trafficking?
5
Trump was said to be at the sex parties (vimeo interview by one of his victims) and stated publicly that Epstein was a good friend and that he knew that Epstein like young girls. Trump is far more connected than just through Acosta. Let's get out some info on that.
16
With friends like these, who needs enemies - right girls ?
3
Does anyone think that Trump would be offended by a sexual predator or anyone who defends one?
7
In all this we are forgetting the victims. Acosta blames them for not coming forward - the male knee jerk reaction is they are lying or “they like it if you have money” - These were children - even mature women were scorned when they speak out. No justice - only easy street for the perpetrators.
11
From what I've read (see today's Ann Coulter column), Alexander Acosta is almost the hero of the Jeffrey Epstein story, trying to prosecute him way back in 2006. Another guy seems like he's the evil doer. Barry Krischer.
2
If that wretch were in the Iliad, she’d be, “Ann, of the neck that terrifies man, whose ships are lost in crags and icy water...”
9
You're citing the hateful, untruthful Ann Coulter as a source. I hope you are kidding.
13
@Cynthia Starks Did Ann Coulter comment on a judges recent finding that Acosta clearly broke the law by not informing the victims that he was brokering a secret deal allowing Epstein's lawyers to write a non prosecutorial agreement for their client? Hero for whom? Not for the victims who surely would have had an opinion. According to the girl's lawyers, it was the prosecutors they were most afraid of.
2
Is it just me or are there others in America who also feel a constant sense of incredulity about this administration? At times, it makes me weary, but most of the time i’m Infuriated that this is what our country has been reduced to. The huge lies, deceptions, and machinations by these rich, old, white, and powerful men sickens me to my core. The perverted comments by Trump himself about his own daughter when she was a teenager (and even now) just add another layer of disgust. Throw in what these guys are doing to our environment and the national debt and we’re probably looking at decades of restoration. Not to mention America’s reputation in the rest of the world.
Trump and his despicable cronies are ruining our country in too many ways to measure.
25
Sometimes I suspect that Trump has handpicked these guys knowing that they have some scandal in their past that might make him look better by comparison, or he innately knows how to spot slime (much like himself), ergo there might be a whole host of scandals in their past. Nobody has such a record of scandals as he has had in all his years in the public eye, but at some point perhaps he can lie about some evidence that makes them the reason for his failure in some area.
2
Acosta used the Ralph Kramden defense - "hum-a-na, hum-a-na, hum-a-na..." Didn't work for Ralph, either.
10
He needs to resign. If he will not do so voluntarily, he needs to be terminated as Secretary of Labor. He needs to publically apologize for his lapse in judgment.
5
Trump's remarks about his daughter now make perfect sense.
19
It’s about power. Who holds it and how they wield it. While there’s no excuse for Sec. Acosta’s, there’s no question of who holds power in this country today. Acosta regrettably caved in to the pressure and prevented his better judgement and ethics from guiding him, notwithstanding a 53 page indictment. He’s guilty of conspiracy. For those in power, this is said to be their “golden age.” Indeed, the country has afforded them the freedom to prosper; yet, their behavior is plain and simple repulsive. Epstein, Dershowitz and all other perpetrators should be put away for life.
12
There are two kinds of bigwig rich and/or political creeps. There are the ones who know how to keep their corruption just a hair's breadth inside the law, because jail is not their thing any more than decency is their thing, and they are not big on potentially catastrophic personal risk. Then there are the ones who think they can never go to jail, or perhaps the scenario never even occurs to them, so they just let it all hang out. I think people like Mitch McConnell and Kenneth Starr and Donald McGahn and William Barr are in the first category. They are not going to jail because they are careful to avoid doing things that could put them in jail. Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein are in the second category. They are at least potentially going to jail, if - a huge if! - they can be tagged with their violations. For people like Dershowitz and Acosta, it's unclear which category they are in. There is some inconclusive public evidence that Dershowitz may be personally implicated in the abuse of the young women. Acosta apparently broke the law with his plea deal, under intense pressure, possibly including blackmail. He might be one who tried to stay just this side of the law and failed. So Dershowitz and Acosta may also be jail meat. Time will tell. But without at least one prosecutor - Mr. Berman, in this case - with the authority, the will, the independence and the evidence, all the creeps would get away free, for sure. But I am cautiously hopeful that Berman will get them.
9
“My relationship with the president is outstanding,” he said. “He has very publicly made clear that I’ve got his support.”
The legions of former Trump hires and appointees had outstanding relationships with President Trump and enjoyed his full support right up until the time they didn't.
10
He blew his one chance. He’ll be gone in a week.
7
In this Administration, there is an inverse correlation between the number of flags behind the speaker and veracity.
8
It sounds to me like Trump picked a swamp creature--Acosta--for his Cabinet.
It's just one of many Trump picks from the swamp. It's not surprising, given that Trump is ultimate swamp creature.
6
Acosta wanted to help who exactly ?
The past victims, living their lives knowing the perpetrator is effectively walking free ?
The future victims, living their lives unaware of the monster bearing down on them about to ruin their lives in a completely avoidable tragedy ?
It's as if Trump is grooming this puppet for the role of Attorney General when he might need leniency.
10
If Mr. Acosta was acting ethically, as an alum of Kirkland & Ellis, he would have recused himself because Epstein hired lawyers from his old firm, Kirkland & Ellis to defend him.
5
Like Barr should re-recuse himself now.
1
You write about Secretary R. Alexander Acosta, “A handful of Mr. Trump’s allies are not so sure that he will remain supportive of Mr. Acosta as the news coverage continues” hinting that this president will be sensitive to the sustained negative news coverage.
Wel, well, well.
Perhaps a consultation with another Acosta, one Abilio James (Jim) Acosta is in order. Mr. Trump has been caving in because of the famous lawsuit CNN vs. Donald Trump and the pressure from news media, right?
1
Since when are plea agreements done over breakfast? Aren’t they normally done in a prosecutor’s office? There’s something so odd about Acosta’s role in this but the crime is so horrific that I’d just like to see justice for that.
Eventually he will resign. Congress owes us an investigation - they put him in the Cabinet.
11
@Sheela Todd Acosta said he had "somewhat" of a time line - which was rather astounding.
1
Going to trial would not have been the roll of the dice. Clearly Epstein was guilty, and there was more than plenty of evidence to support years, perhaps decades, in a real jail.
If Acosta wanted to "help them" he would have followed the law and informed Epstein's victims that while they tried to put their shattered lives back together, Epstein would be going to work as usual, free from guilt and free from shackles...in short, free!
The only thing I can think might illuminate what Acosta was really thinking was so "tough" about a 13-month "jail" sentence would be a detailed look into his finances. How much does one receive to tip the balance of justice in favor of a child molester, trafficker, or rapist? Does Mr. Acosta know the answer to this question?
8
@Not Amused
"Clearly Epstein was guilty, and there was more than plenty of evidence to support years, perhaps decades, in a real jail."
How on earth can you say that? Are you a lawyer? How many criminal cases have you tried before a jury? Did you interview a single witness? Have you seen any physical evidence?
Did you even read the article? Did you understand what it means that the FL grand jury, after hearing all the evidence, would only charge for one count of solicitation?
@GMooG
The high and mighty do not agree to plead guilty to "sexually abusing dozens of young women and girls" unless there is a real threat to their freedom, due to there being enough truth behind the allegations to support far more future inquiry that could lead to far more punishment than a mere 13 months with work release.
That was a defense? What a massive joke.
11
In the new world that Trump has engineered, up is down, and right is wrong. Acosta has the gall to state that times were different "back then" to explain his outrageous sentencing of Jeffrey Epstein to basically one night a week in jail for 13 months for his habitual molestation and rape of young teenage girls.
Acosta's claim that he "wanted to help" the victims, given his actions, should repulse all normal Americans, but we have a political party and a president who seem to have drawn out the "deplorables" in our society to back up any and all unethical and even criminal acts that they commit.
7
The then Palm Beach State Attorney and attorneys for the victims have called Acosta’s account today a lie. Given Acosta’s violation of the law in keeping the lenient plea deal with Epstein a secret from victims, I find the state attorney and the victims’ attorneys entirely credible. The Trump administration is corrupt and dishonest from the top down.
13
I question why no reporter asked Acosta to speak to men about what they plan to do to stop this epidemic of sexual abuse in America. Today we do not have the expectation that if a man in power, who is not himself a sex offender but who is aware of someone sexually abusing a child, do something to stop the abuse. Acosta telling victims to come forward again puts the responsibility to stop the abuse on the victim. Sex abuse will stop only when men accept their responsibility to stop it.
6
Agreed to a degree - but it is not a man thing, boys are trafficked as well - and women can work to stop this as well.
It is not a gender, age or party issue.
1
Simple rule - Labor secretary cannot support a pedophile. Should immediately resign or fired full stop.
14
Acosta's Intelligence-Approved-Non-Response when asked about Epstein being an "intelligence asset":
"So there has been reporting to that effect and let me say, there’s been reporting to a lot of effects in this case, not just now but over the years and, again, I would hesitate to take this reporting as fact. This was a case that was brought by our office, it was brought based on the facts and I look at the reporting and others, I can’t address it directly because of our guidelines, but I can tell you that a lot of reporting is going down rabbit holes."
https://youtu.be/N_ZMciRBJu8?t=2748
I'll interpret Acosta's response as a Yes. Perhaps this explains Epstein's odd relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell. Who was Robert Maxwell?
"Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy"
https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Maxwell-Israels-Superspy-Gordon/dp/0786712953
2
The Trump Administration starting KellyAnn, Sarah, Barr, Acosta, Rudy and featuring the lead spinner donald as the
"The New Spinners”.
5
@vincent Sarah is no longer there. Throw in Miller instead.
1
Mr. Acosta is a sickly cowboy.
Any attorney who labels under age minors as criminals, rather than victims of sexual assault, is a low down snake.
13
@Steven of the Rockies
they were both victims and criminals
Normally I would give Mr. Acosta the benefit of the doubt, but since he is politically and personally associated with that notorious liar and sexual predator, Donald J. Trump, I have to say I am "not a fan" of Acosta and believe that he should have to defend his actions and lack of actions in the court of public opinion, if not in a court of law.
9
Everything is good.
Acosta will be sleeping with the fishes by the weekend.
4
The Florida state attorney has challenged what Acosta said in his press conference as being false! They had 57 pages of charges they wanted to file!
14
Sad to say, but Acosta secured hero status for himself among Trump supporters. The party of family values just can't help themselves ... .
13
So where are the affidavits and documents that Acosta produced from the career prosecutors?
3
This perverted enabler will resign in infamy and be lost to history as yet another today of this misadministration. Sadly, the cesspool from which all of GOP nominees come seems to be as bottomless as the tolerance for corruption by the GOP. Sad times for America.
13
What does it mean to have a Labor Secretary who violated the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act? Is that a crime? Is Acosta a criminal?
14
From the White House:
Do you want a new Labor Secretary?
Ok. But my guess is you're not going to like the new one any more than you like the old one.
But if it makes you feel better, we'll do it.
4
Ah, Alex, Trump never knew ye.
3
This entire situation throws up some very uncomfortable questions:
1) 'A terrific guy' vs. 'I was never a fan'?
2) How does 12hrs away 6 days a week from a private wing constitute jail time?
3) Why did Acosta meet the defense alone and away from the office?
4) How in a 21,000 sq ft house in the middle of NY could nobody else have been present at the time of such abuse?
5) How does a sex offender possess so many indecent images?
Something about this whole situation doesn't seem right & the victims deserve better than this!
7
Mr. Trump, could you please define what "drain the swamp" means to you? I think I have a very different opinion.
14
IMO, Acosta, during his presser, just victimized the victims again, while defending himself for an audience of one.
Epstein didn't "go to jail". He went to a place where he was able to leave for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. He was basically placed in "time out" with a curfew.
Trump's defense of Acosta is abhorrent. He feels "badly" for Acosta, but doesn't mention any sympathy for the victims of Epstein.
Most interesting, is that Trump doesn't condemn Epstein. He just tries to distance himself by saying he hasn't been in contact with Epstein for several years.
10
One thing that is not being discussed is the complicity of all the power elite who knew about the sexual predation and exploitation of young women that Epstein was engaged in.
The systemic rot runs deep.
Not to mention the despicable woman who did some of Epstein’s trafficking dirty work.
M
12
I hear she is in England. She needs to be extradited.
2
The state of this administration and the Republican party members supporting this government are so depraved I cannot even myself believe how bad it is.
We have an administration headed by a man who boasted about assaulting women and has been credibly accused of groping and assaulting at least a dozen women. He very likely obstructed justice on multiple occasions into a federal investigation of his own conduct during the campaign. He lies constantly.
We have a secretary of education making lenient rules that favor rapists on campus.
We have members of Trump’s inner circle who are now convicted felons, under indictment for various crimes, or were credibly accused of battering their wives.
We have another cabinet secretary who previous to his current job, but as a US Attorney, took actions to protect a pedophile from serious charges that would have sent him to prison for decades if convicted.
This is not the party of family values or any kind of even bargain basement version of morality. Any Christian (evangelical or otherwise) who votes for this president again has absolutely no conception of what Jesus actually said and what he minimally demands of his followers.
12
There is absolutely no defense. I’d be looking at his motives for giving the sweetheart deal. Payment? Promises? Are we sure he isn’t a pedophile? And how about his appointment to the Labor post by Trump, the accused rapist and long time bff of Epstein? I see a lot of investigative work ahead for journalists not owned by Sinclair Media or FOX. These men may be rich but they are all nasty, nasty, abusive misogynists and possible child rapists and the women of America are done. We are absolutely coming for them, in the worst possible way. Their safest harbor is going to prison. 2020 can’t come soon enough for most of us. And if Russia steals it (again), good luck and buena suerte, pigs. You might need it.
10
Liars know one thing. Lie, lie and lie some more. This guy just like the man who called him a nice guy seems quite comfortable spinning tales. Too bad that’s what they know well. Better than most. Lying. Shame. Oh and children are not prostitutes their is a correct term and they know it. Victims! Shame ! You are being found out.
4
Also- he is a liar. Trump is a liar. Barr- whose law firm, Kirkland and Ellis, defended him-is a liar. They are ALL at their very best, liars. But more likely, they are pedophiles, rapists and enablers of pedophiles and rapists.
10
Alex Acosta infuriated me. His dismissing the ridiculous lightness of the sentence saying it was at least something, his abdication of any responsibility for his part and his pandering to the victims as if he somehow was sympathetic to their hell nauseated me. Where was his sympathy when he said ok to the plea deal? If he had been listening even a little bit to the stories of the women who once were girls, if he had cared even a little about the girls that were sure to come later, if he had even an ounce of spine he would have stood up to Mr. Epstein and his fancy lawyers. Punishment? It was no punishment. How many girls came forward that time? 30? The lifelong pain of 30 girls reduced to one count of prostitution. One count. Of prostitution. As if they were the perpetrator. And that was the best Mr. Acosta could do? All those girls-- children-- were reduced to one count of prostitution because Mr. Acosta wanted to be sure Mr. Epstein went to jail. I am sure most pedophiles get to live out their sentences in jail rather than prison and get to spend 6 days a week in their luxury offices, ordering in lunch with a girl on the side. His name is on the sex offender registry? He doesn't care. His name in the social column? That's important. And, guess what? The sentence did not make even the slightest impression on Mr. Epstein because he just kept on after he got out. The lives of those girls should lie squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Acosta.
9
Alex Acosta is Trump's kind of guy who understands that rich, white, powerful men, like Epstein and Trump, should be able to commit pedophile sexual assault and rape without penalty or repercussions.
9
So- there are no excuses for not punishing human trafficking to the full extent of the law. Wealth should have no bearing on these sentences. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
4
There a are really two different sets of laws. One for rich
people and one for the rest of us.
4
This is infuriating. It's bad enough that Mr. Acosta is shifting the blame and among others is pointing the finger at Florida's state authorities . However to stand up at a press conference and try to place blame on young , sometimes as young as fourteen year old , victims is shameful and unconscionable . Mr. Acosta will obviously do absolutely anything to save his own skin. It's reprehensible and completely disheartening to continue to see powerful U.S. government officials try and defend this kind of behavior. Its going on now for too long and by too many people in the current Trump administration. I hope his firing or resignation will begin some kind of accountability for this callous treatment of victims.
5
The flaw in Acosta’s explanation is that on the one hand he takes credit for intervening in the state investigation to ensure Epstein served jail time and registered as a sex offender, but on the other hand he did not coordinate with the State prosecutor to ensure that even those minimal sentencing requirements were imposed. Did he expect that the “dream team”assembled by Epstein, same aggressive platoon of lawyers that fought Acosta’s office vigorously, would not continue their advocacy with the state when the Feds were out of the picture? Why didn’t Acosta’s office appear at the State sentencing or submit a memorandum to the presiding judge setting forth the minimum sentencing requirements to fulfill the terms of the Federal non-prosecution agreement?
And of course, he has no answer for failing to conduct a thorough investigation like the SDNY has done.
2
Given where we are in politics, I find it necessary to add a preface to what I'd like to say: I'm not a Trump supporter.
Outside of appointing Acosta as Secretary of Labor, I really don't think Trump has anything to do with this. In fact, I'm inclined to believe that ex-president Bill Clinton has more to do with this than Trump.
2
Who cares what you believe and who you support. Facts and laws should matter - not reader’s believes.
7
How many victims has Epstein abused since that great deal ?
4
I elected not listen to Acosta’s defense of his actions, as it is intuitively obviously, that there is no justification for letting a pedophile off to rape more children.
7
Acosta plans to slash funding for the federal agency that fights sexual exploitation of children. His financial plans for the Department of Labor for fiscal year 2020 proposes to gut resources for the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB). It would eliminate most federal efforts to curb sex trafficking and put the lives of thousands of children at risk.
7
Acosta obviously made decisions above his pay grade. Why? Bush Jr was the president. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out who in America would have the political clout to shut this down. Trump was a citizen of limited influence and Clinton was out of office. And the thing about letting unnamed co-conspirators off the hook. Then is dawned on me- it's likely CIA level. Could it be Saudi princes? I believe this is more than a rich man having the best defense attorneys money can buy. And will Trump shut it down again?
4
The State of Florida was going to prosecute Epstein for felony solicitation of prostitution? So the victims of his crimes were considered prostitutes? Unbelieveable. Then the idiots allowed him to work from home 12 hours a day, 6 days a week? Sounds to me like there's more than Acosta to point fingers at. But they're probably Democrats or liberals and in that case that's OK.
2
So, what do the AUSA’s and case agents who handled the case he have to say?
In my humble opinion, it’s apropos to paraphrase a comment from the Watergate era, "What did Acosta know and when did he know it?". Acosta either knew what was happening but lacked the intestinal fortitude to proceed or was compromised. The fact that agreement that Acosta crafted with Epstein leads me to believe that it’s the former. Another compromised Trump appointee.
4
The Hill is reporting that the Palm Beach State Attorney at the time, Barry Krischer, flatly refutes Acosta’s version of events today. Acosta didn't “save” the situation to get Epstein jail time. He secretly negotiated with Epstein’s lawyers and behind the victims backs to get an absurdly light sentence on behalf of a pedophile. Krischer said that if Acosta wanted a tough sentence he should have just filed the 53 page Federal indictment against Epstein the his own office prepared.
This administration is filled with people who think the truth is what they say at any given moment regardless of what actually happened.
I’d really like to know who exerted pressure or coerced people into this plea deal that gave immunity to any co-conspirators. Who else is being protected?
14
With people like Acosta and Rep. Jim Jordan going easy on pedophiles, Trump sure has surrounded himself with people who understand him.
8
They want to kill this quickly. It was at an Epstein party where trump has been accused of raping a 13 year old girl. There is even a witness to the rape. People want Epstein's victims to get justice but trump's victim's should get justice also.
11
Question to lawyers, if there was fraud by a DA, can the defendant be retried? Seems like a similar situation may happen with Jesse Smollett
1
Real good question.
My guess is no, given the general take on dislike for State power in the Constitution, but still.
1
The Roman emperor, Caligula, would have blushed at the rot and corruption of the Trump administration.
4
Why do I feel a need for 3 or 4 hot showers whenever I read about Epstein and Acosta? Does anybody really believe Acosta granted Epstein every break in the book, and some that have never been in any book, just because he thought Epstein was such a great guy?
Follow the money....
3
Inside of an hour Acosta was proved to be a liar by the officials who prosecuted the Epstein case in Florida.
Acosta is on life support. He will be out of office in a matter of days.
But it won't be for any of the reasons the Trump administration will use. He will be out of office because he has been in the news too much. Trump hates, hates, hates anyone in his administration who sucks up print ink and air time and keeps him below the fold. For Trump there is no good publicity, no bad publicity, only publicity, and if his cabinet officials get more of it than he does, they get thrown under the bus.
Acosta is disgusting, but no one is more disgusting than Trump, and he proves it every single day (and sometimes multiple times a day).
12
It should not just end with Acosta “resigning”. Acosta should be pursued by FBI and brought to justice.
1
So basically Acosta claims he was lousy at his job as a prosecutor.
Got it.
12
Mr. Acosta should go to jail too.
8
I want to have Congress look at his taxes, as well as, investigate whether he has some cushy accounts in Switzerland or the Bahamas that were given to him during the private meeting with Epstein's lawyers.
To my mind, all of the "public servants" appointed by Trump need to be audited financially so that they can prove one way or another that they are either beholding to the American citizens or are beholding to oligarchs and external foreign entities who are funding them to be their lackeys. My bet is based on Manafort, Page, Flynn, Price, Zinke, Pruitt, etc. that most of them fall into the former, rather than latter, category. Acosta is just the next of many to fall into this category.
7
Beholding to the former??!
A great point about Acosta was just raised by Senator Amy Klobuchar on CNN. Acosta's Labor Secretary post oversees U.S. work against human trafficking.
Surely in light of this questionable deal with Jeffrey Epstein, Acosta is no longer in any ethical or even practical position to hold his post.
10
Why isn't anyone following the money? This guy's finances need to be totally investigated.
5
@DR: Epstein's finances are as opaque as Trump's.
5
Acosta was and remains on the take. Check his and his wife’s bank accounts. And he was probably told in no uncertain terms to back off by some bad associates of Epstein. Ain’t gonna happen this time. Acosta’s reputation is ruined and so is he. And Epstein’s going to jail. Yay.
8
There was absolutely nothing wrong with Acosta’s Office telling the victims what they would face in the event it went to trial aNd they testified. That is not an attempt by his office to “terrify” the victims, but real world advice of what to expect. He would have been wrong to go to trial and NOT tell them to be prepared to be dissected under the microscope.
It sounds like a lot of things were done wrong, but if Horowitz and others want to vilify him, at least make it be for his stupid actions.
If you had a daughter that was going to testify in a case like this, would you not want her to know what she is facing, even when she did absolutely nothing wrong?
2
Acosta is toast, he is radioactive and most likely will be fired by friday.
8
Yes, he will indicate he didn’t want to distract the president and wants to spend more time with his family.
6
Why would Trump fire Acosta? Acosta has proven that he's Trump's kind of guy who understands that rich, white, powerful men should be free to be pedophiles, sexual assaulters, and rapists with no penalties or repercussions.
2
I wonder how many of the missing, young migrant children that were never tracked by the Trump administration at the beginning of the outrage at the border are being sold into sex slavery or used as cheap labor on someone’s ranch. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta would probably know where they are, since he seems to be in tight with the rich predators who facilitate that kind of thing.
9
Democrats have changed.
That Democrats are ready to see elders, such as Clinton, investigated and not be protected from their actions is evidence just how much the party has moved on.
It is connected to why people don't want Biden in the WH.
People want the era OVER.
Caveat -
Bernie is different because he was clearly in a different league - more often on the right side of history. Still is.
8
I love Bernie too but I don’t feel he can move beyond the platitudes. In other words, I am not sure he really has a concrete plan on how to make the things he wants to happen actually happen .. besides starting a political “revolution”. Maybe that is part of it but he never seems to give many other details as far as I can see. And you have to be able to work it to make it happen
5
@Luckyleejones
He is the author of the Medicare For All legislation that alot of other Dem candidates are supporting.
But I do take your point - I think he is not the greatest communicator. That said, I do believe he has knowledge to get it done.
2
Acosta, like Barr, was hired precisely because he is willing to take the fall for wealthy, powerful men who do terrible things, and particularly for Trump. We know that Trump's loyalty test is basically the entirety of his job interview, and that Comey was fired because he didn't pass the test.
I have absolutely no doubt that when Acosta arranged the sweetheart deal for Epstein, it wasn't just Epstein he was worried about. It was everybody else wealthy and famous that Epstein had taken on his private jet to his island to abuse trafficked children. That's the list I'd really like to have a look at.
18
The backroom payoff to Acosta must have really been substantial. Naturally, it would have all been in cash. In the ensuing years, what outward signs of the huge payoff have been on display? It would be worthwhile investigating.
7
Trump - "only the best"....unfortunately, the opposite is true.
2
@Cee
The phrase is actually "Only the best (for Trump)"
2
This story has a long way more to go. There are a lot of VIPS and politicians that are involved here. We have yet to uncover the true scope of this hideous situation.
If you track the flight logs of Epstein's associates, there should be a lot of nervous powerful men.
Acosta protected these men that are predators and he needs to be accountable. If he had a reasonable DOJ, not only would he be fired from his current role but they would support disbarring him and publicly humiliating him.
Vance Cyrus should be examined next. It seems like he aided in covering this up. Epstein has/had a lot of leverage on his so called associates to keep him out of jail. He received that joke of a sentence as an exchange not to divulge his dirty secrets.
This is much larger and much more extensive then the Weinstein case. Let's see if the newspapers have the courage to pursue the extent of the sex trafficking and predation.
I
9
@Rob
Yes and let all the dirty secrets now flood out.
2
Let's see what's missing from this article - oh, the fact that the Miami Herald investigation uncovered that Kirshner's investigators claimed he pressured them to downgrade charges against Epstein.
8
Does anyone doubt that Acosta's sweetheart deal for Epstein is one of the prime reasons Trump wanted Acosta in the cabinet?
6
One is known by the company you keep. I am 76 years of age and still feel the horror of the sexual abuse I experienced as an 11 year old by those I believed I trusted. Getting “jail time for the rich and powerful where you are free for 12 hours daily. 6 days a week does not equal the penalties handed out to rest of molesters Do the honorable thing and resign and not hide behind the corpupt leader you propose to serve. How dare you try to justify such double standard of justice
Chrisslevin
14
Just resign, Mr. Acosta. You will sleep better. Donald is not worth for the rest of your life and your family.
7
This really is a farce: The "Lolita Express" explicitly violates the Mann Act. The more I see of Trump's entourage, the more stupid they all look.
13
Acosta is a reminder of how broken the American justice system has become. This is probably worse than a third-world country's justice system. It shows that there are no limits in the level of leniency rich criminals could get from government officials who are charmed by them.
12
I would have believed Acosta if only he had an additional 3 U.S. flags behind him.
21
Of course he is going to defend the lenient sentence he brokered for a registered sex offender. Of course he will claim it was the most severe punishment he could broker. Of course he will claim he "he wanted to help them" despite breaking federal laws by keeping the plea agreement from the victims. It is a complicated process breaking federal law and maintaining a level of corruption and incompetence expected from a party supplicant with his eye on ever higher un-elected positions.
7
So, am I to understand that Acosta couldn't negotiate five days of freedom for Epstein to go to the office? It had to be SIX days, or no deal? What utter baloney, the whole thing.
16
The article states that "Adam Horowitz, a lawyer who represented seven of the victims, said that Mr. Acosta’s arguments were disingenuous. He acknowledged that the young women were scared to testify, but said that that was because prosecutors had terrified them."
I understand there were prosecutors and prosecutors -- which set is Horwitz referring to. Is he saying that Acosta did this? It is irresponsible reporting to have left that issue up in the air.
4
Everyone serving in government must allow their financials to be revealed. Otherwise, we are Russia.
9
@H.A. Hyde
We are Russia.
8
This man let a pedophile and a human trafficker go free; a man appointed by Trump, a friend of Epstein.
He allowed “associates” to go investigated and unnamed. How perverse does this story have to get before Republicans stand up to this despicable administration? All of them, including Ivanka. No comment? Really?
Just despicable.
8
Republicans are more evil than ISIS. ISIS has principles however odious. Republicans do not.
8
We are so fortunate that Mr. Acosta stepped in back in 2008 to ensure Epstein was identified as a sexual predator and served the "its okay to go to work jail time". Acosta is a pathetic weakling enabler of the wealthy. He should resign now, or better yet, let' s drag him through the media circus for a couple of weeks.
7
An executive branch of fools and worse...
4
I know that the rich and powerful are pretty much immune from any punishiment no matter what they do. That is why even as a registered sex offender he felt free to have pictures and tapes of young girls and women. I am pretty certain that all those who knew for years what Epstein did will escape the law. Can you imagine knowing a friend who preyed on under aged girls and not going to the police to protect those young girls, just letting it go on and on for years or even worse? If you were middle class you would be in big trouble right now. Trump knew and has his own history of at least one underage girl accusing him of rape. She only dropped the case when she and her family's lives were threatened. The people who knew about what Epstein did will never be charged because they are too rich and famous. What a hideous and monstrous crowd. Acosta will skate free too. Is it too much to hope this one time that a rich and powerful person as Epstein who has friends in high places, will actually have to do real time? Will he get away with it because he has proof of other famous and rich people engaging in criminal activities? I doubt Weinstein will ever go to prison. I know Cosby finally had to do time. But wonder how many rich and famous criminals are walking free.
5
I don't know... I listened to the Q&A after the press conference, and I found him to be way more credible, thoughtful, earnest and just then I expected. He was a surprising and welcome break from the standard trump administration obfuscation.
2
So it’s clear that the average guy who has sex with 13 and 14 year olds is going to prison for the rest of his life. If he has dirty pictures of these girls it’s without parole. Enter the rich and famous: a few months on work release. So either change the law so sex with 13 year olds is legal again as it once was, or enforce the law without favoritism for the rich and famous. Is it really asking too much to provide equal protection as the constitution mandates?
7
I wonder if any serious charges can be brought against Acosta. There was obviously much more going on beneath the surface and not only was Acosta an accomplice but he is clearly protecting high level people. Only the threat of prison (real prison) can persuade Acosta to come clean.
3
The fact that this snake didn't even speak to the victims before approving the plea deal really says it all. There's nothing Acosta can say now that will inspire any amount of confidence from anyone. He needs to resign or get fired.
8
If he has any morality whatsoever, he should resign. I am struck by the irony of the British ambassador resigning this very day because he seems to have hurt Trump's feelings by correctly calling the White House inept.
7
What a smooth operator Acosta is, listened a part of his press conference as if that was his idea. All of a sudden he started to speak in Spanish to show he is bilingual and a great friend of trump.
This will not cut though , Epstein a despicable monster continued for many more years victimized underage teens and destroyed their lives when he should be behind bars for lifetime.
Why ?
Because Epstein is wealthy and well connected and therefore he could.
5
Epstein calls Trump and asks:
“Can you get me off the hook Donnie, ……for old times sake. ?”
8
@New World
Can't do it, Sally. Great lines from Abe Vigoda and Robert Duvall in The Godfather.
Unfortunately, Donnie bone spurs would say, of course, Jeff, naturally.
2
“How do you weigh those two if going to trial is viewed as a roll of the dice?”
Well, actually we know the outcome of a roll of the dice. The probability of a 7 is 1/6 and a 2 is 1/36. Maybe if you actually did your job, you could increase the probability of a conviction. No surprise you threw snake eyes.
2
Lock him up. In a prison. What goes around, comes around.
1
Perhaps Trump will let Acosta sizzle on the griddle for several days so we'll all forget Trump was bosom buddies with the repulsive Epstein. Clinton has released a detailed accounting of all his encounters with Epstein - where, when, why and with whom. When will we such an accounting from Trump?
2
And you think Clinton was being truthful? Not quite.
Why can’t Acosta be charged with something? His was a great dereliction of duty. Where are our laws to protect us?
1
Resign, now.
3
I’m not a wealthy man, or such a smart man,
I’m just a family man.
If I were the father of one of Epstein’s young girls,
his lights would be out already.
6
Saw the entire Acosta show and was not impressed. He tried to use some legalese concepts and terms that will be dissected very quickly and refuted by legal experts. What a snow job. Most Americans will see through your excuses, especially women. Good luck Alex, your days are counted!
9
So the "President" says he is just doing an excellent job. After all the "President" only likes 'Winners" and does not like "Losers". He , Acosta, will be gone shortly.
3
And if only the Times could delve into why our own D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr. (Dem., NY) was helping Epstein out.
As Holman Jenkins points out in today's WSJ, "It wasn’t Mr. Acosta but New York County’s district attorney—a member of the city’s ruling Democratic elite, with the illustrious name of Cyrus Vance Jr.—who in 2011 sought to undo Mr. Acosta’s work by relieving Mr. Epstein of his Level 3 sex offender status in New York state."
6
The NYT and the WP both mentioned what Vance tried to do.
4
@Sue
The same way they "mentioned" Acosta?
Acosta: what did you see and when did you see it?
I am boiling over with rage at the abuse of women and girls that infests this corrupt administration and everyone they keep close. Sexual predators, abusers of women and their defenders:
Donald J Trump
Brett Kavanaugh
Bill Shine
Alexander Acosta
Border Patrol
On and on and on
Let's get some REPUBLICANS on the record here, ask them to defend this. American women are waiting.
17
@Jsw
Don’t hold your breath.
4
“I wanted to help them,” Mr. Acosta, who was the top federal prosecutor in Miami at the time, said of the victims during an hour-long session with reporters at the Labor Department..."
To quote the linguistically limber Bob Dylan..."Is there a hole for me to get sick in?" (Tombstone Blues)
6
Revolting. No other word. These people! When will we get our country back? Acosta should be disbarred.
11
Trump is the Nasty Man in Chief. Call him on it!
5
Sell some weed, 30 years in prison.
Molest little girls, a few months of weekend jail.
19
These devils that Trump brings in, Barr, Acosta have a tell. They speak softly, ramble earnestly, and think they got over...for today.
Barr's father let Epstein access to teenage school kids. The rich school kids. No wonder these abused rich kids grow up to be just like their parents. Useless tribal sycophants.
7
This administration is a poker game filled with liars. Would the press please chase this nonsense down, please.
4
According to OpenSecrets.org, Epstein made donations between 1990 and 2018 to both Democrats and Republicans, which totaled an estimated $184, 276. Of the $184,276 made in donations, $147,426 went to Democrats or left-leaning organizations, while $18,250 was received by Republicans or righ-leaning organizations. But, this is an Acosta/Trump scandal.
2
@Hank
What you say is true.
But, by extension of your argument, it is also true that everyone that donated money to the GOP in the last three years has directly supported a man who has been credibly accused by over 20 different women of sexual assault.
Now, which is worse? A single sexual predator who donates money to an entire political party, or an entire political party that donates money to a single sexual predator?
There is also this to consider, those who accepted Mr. Epstein's money may not have known about his criminal activities, whereas those who donated money to Mr. Trump knew, up-front, exactly what kind of man they were supporting.
Now, with these facts in mind, I would ask where you think the real scandal lies?
I would suggest that the real scandal is that if it were Donald Trump that had committed these crimes, instead of Mr. Epstein, the entire GOP would be tacitly supporting him.
4
Stop making this a political whataboutism. This is about crimes. And the criminals accused ar JE, AA and DT.
2
If the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia are still Governor and Lieutenant Governor after what they did then Acosta absolutely needs to remain Secretary of Labor.
2
@Toni
Are you comparing performing in blackface with predatory sexual activity with underage girls?
Typical FOX tactics. Ignore the facts and attack, even if the "offenses" are disproportionately light years apart.
Oh, Florida. Never mind. You're all crazy down there.
4
I watched Alex Acosta's so-called Press Conference, as did Trump.
I expect Acosta will be gone by the end of the month, if not sooner.
1
He defends the indefensible. Because of his actions, more young women were assaulted and traumatized. He should be disbarred and investigated for criminal wrongdoing.
8
Big problem now for Acosta and Trump the Florida state prosecutor at the time denied Acosta's version of events and said Acosta should have pursued the indictment he had but folded under pressure from rich and powerful attorneys and politicians. No winder A.G.Barr did not recuse himself he might have to rush in and defend Trump shredding any evidence while declaring Trump absolute immunity and being divine.
4
I watched today the interview with one of Epstein's victims who said she was raped by Epstein at age 15. And, she then took the blame for other girls being sexually abused by Epstein because she said she was too afraid to come forward. She said that if she had come forward these other young girls would not have been abused. I still cry when I hear sexually abused victims take the responsibility for being raped or sexually abused. I am a mental health therapist; and, unfortunately I have heard this from all ages of women. I say to Acosta " the abuse and suicide by some of Epstein's victims is due to you. You need to own this instead of 14 year old victims". I realize Acosta will never take responsibility for his actions and behaviors. If he had the courage and capacity to do this, we would not be reading about Epstein's victims because Epstein would be in prison.
10
It makes perfect sense that Acosta, whose only task now is to please Trump, should be taking the path of conceding nothing, denying everything, and shifting blame – in this case, to the State of Florida. It doesn’t hold water. Even if the deal had been the best that he could get at the time, it doesn’t explain the illegal failure to notify the victims. The prosecutors conspired with the defense team to keep the victims in the dark, in direct contravention of federal law.
Moreover, what Acosta said today cannot be squared with what he wrote in 2011, when he was still smarting about the way in which Epstein’s lawyers – he named Ken Starr, Alan Dershowitz, Jay Lefkowitz and others – had steamrollered him. The Epstein lawyers, he charged, hired private investigators to examine the prosecutors’ lives for “peccadilloes” that could be used against them. One of them (it's not hard to guess who) threatened that if he persisted in trying to send this “good man” to prison, he could be the subject of a book.
Acosta concluded by saying that after the case was concluded, Starr, Dershowitz, and Lefkowitz, all of whom he knew personally, reached out to him, “to make peace.” He met with each, "as I think it important that prosecutors battle defense attorneys in a case and then move on. I have tried, yet I confess that has been difficult to do fully in this case.”
He had good reason to be bitter. It is not only Acosta but also the defense lawyers who should be held to account.
7
This story doesn’t mention that Att Genl Bill Barr, after recusing himself from the case, then unrecused himself. What does this mean? Will Barr be supervising the SDNY? Will he see to it that Acosta is protected?
So far, everything that Barr has done as attorney general indicates that he is capable of practically anything to protect Trump.
5
It's safe to say that Donald Trump supports Acosta 'because' he's a cover-up artist, not in spite of it. Just as it's safe to say that he feels "badly" for him, not because he's corrupt, but because he got caught.
2
People who sell their souls to Donald Trump always seem to forget that he never pays his debts.
6
"In the end, Mr. Trump signaled that it was up to Mr. Acosta to defend himself." - That's my draft-dodger! A man for whom loyalty has always been a one-way street.
It amazes me to no end that The King of Backstabbers can still entice anyone to work for him. No wonder Trump is currently offering pre-approved pardons just to fill the ranks.
Unfortunately, I think Mr. Acosta missed that promotional window.
4
Hey, as Acosta said, attitudes towards victims of sexual assault and their rich white assailants are very different today than they were in 1908. (Cue "The Way We Were.")
I believe Epstein should have received a much tougher sentence. If as Acosta states that a trial was not solid- and that Epstein could have walked with no jail- no penalty- maybe this was the best that the prosecution could obtain.
Look at all the continued support this pedophile has continued to receive since his jailing- those people should be ashamed and those names should be publicized. Further- if others partook in these horrible crimes- they should be publicly named. Epstein should be forced to give them up.
I hope Epstein now will go to jail for the rest of his life.
1
Acosta must have something on Trump, The plea deal gave immunity to other conspirators perhaps one of them was Trump.
3
Why do we hate women - and girls - so much in this country?
6
I am depressed to my core. Not my natural state.
I don't think I can take another story, scandal, cover-up after this horrendous Epstein/Acosta/Clinton/Trump one involving hundreds of underage girls' lives being destroyed.
Always men involved, never women. Time for change. Big change.
Elizabeth, Kamala--will one of you please help deliver us from this evil, vile, criminal administration?
42
I am with you, Julie. This open sewer of a so-called Administration continues to plunge America deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. Their revulsion towards women is unfathomable. REPUBLICAN WOMEN .... how on earth can you stand by, silent, knowing children were being abused, molested and raped by these monsters. EVANGELICAL WIVES ... how can you stand by, silent, knowing children were being abused, molested and raped by these monsters? A plague on all your houses.
3
@Nfa,
With you as well Nfa. My deepest appreciation for calling out REPUBLICAN WOMEN and EVANGELICAL wives. Their role in the shadows of these men should not be dismissed.
4
Weren’t most of his enablers women?
1
Such a travesty, Acosta peddling his dishonesty in front of a trio of American flags, as though he represents the best of American values. Revolting.
26
@DK
Yes! Take the flags away. He's not conducting official Department of Labor business.
4
A fascist ploy - wrap your crimes in a flag.
"...being accused of sexually abusing dozens of young women and girls."
If Mr. Epstein was clearly accused of raping children. As bad as sexual abuse of young women is, raping children is worse still and the Times and its reporters should not follow the lead of Mr. Acosta and his apologists in conflating them.
That they did so again here is shameful.
4
Who hired this guy as labor secretary? oh yeah, now it makes sense
15
Let's not forget this president purchased the rights to a beauty pageant so he could inspect the girls dressing and I quote " I own it, I have to make sure everything is to my standard, I own it ok" What great example of a man sent from god to restore America's faith.
20
Of course Acosta doesn't mention the real reason for his cowering and the secret deal—
Fear of what he called "superstar attorneys"—yeah, people like Alan Dershowitz who himself has been accused by some of the victims. Fear that they would personally attack and embarrass members of the prosecution.
And Epstein was allowed to make a plea on a prostitution charge. What! Underage victims are considered prostitutes!
Sorry, "I wanted to help them" rings hollow, Mr. Acosta.
17
Days away from a Trump tweet...
"I don't know Acosta, never met him"
"Fake News!"
"Climate change is a Chinese hoax"
"Obama's birth certificate is a fraud"
America please vote Nov 2020 preferable for Elizabeth Warren.
We need sanity.
14
presented a multitiered attempt to exculp himself and told a pack of lies about the FL state attorney's office (having been bound by their decision). The former FL state attorney just rebuked lying Acosta. What else is new in Trumpworld!
Accost Acosta. Throw him out!
6
How about the left and the NYT defending Clinton? Let’s not look at Bill who has a history of abusing woman and having the left cover for him. Clinton is Epstein. And we have to pretend it isn’t for the common good?
2
@Jim who is the AH that chose him to be secretary of labor? it wasn't Clinton
4
@Jim This story is about Acosta cutting a sweetheart deal for Epstein, and abuser of CHILDREN. Have you no decency?
6
Who’s defending Bill? If he’s guilty of raping girls, take him down. Take them all down.
8
One could ask why this is even an issue?
We already know that this Administration is overrun with dishonest, morally bankrupt scofflaws from the top down. I would argue that what Acosta is thought to have done is nothing compared to what Donald Trump does every single day.
To illustrate my point, Trump, himself, has been credibly accused of sexual assault by over twenty women so far. So why all this hand wringing over Mr. Acosta, a guy who simply helped cover-up a rich man's sexual assaults, when another rich man, currently occupying the Oval Office, is, morally, a heck of a lot closer to the perpetrator, Mr. Epstein?
To put it another way, if it was Donald Trump instead of Mr. Epstein who had done all these things, the GOP wouldn't even consider it worth taking about. Nor, more unfortunately, would the 40% of this country who support Mr. Trump - no matter what.
I guess it's too bad for Mr. Epstein that he's not a Republican President of the United States. With someone like Attorney General William Barr to make sure his actions, no matter what they may be, remain beyond prosecution.
The point is, shouldn't a perpetrator like Donald Trump deserve greater attention and derision than a cover-up artist like Alexander Acosta? Or have we, the press, and our country, simply given up on there being any accountability what-so-ever for the Office of the Presidency?
13
The reporters should have asked him point blank who got to him and skewed the terms of the plea from the beginning and what he did to get his career staff to fall into line behind it. Any prosecutor worth his salt would have thrown the book at Epstein, just as the the US attorney for the Southern District in New York is finally doing based on the same evidence that was available in to Acosta in Miami.
4
I don’t think that the reporters cared. All of that happened when Obama was President. Nothing to blame Trump for.
1
Obama was not POTUS in 2008.
3
John, you must have been watching Fox News today. Hate to tell you that they have misinformed you. Google: When was George W Bush President?
4
In a 2011 letter asserted that defense lawyers “investigated individual prosecutors and their families, looking for personal peccadilloes that may provide a basis for disqualification.”
There are also reports of witness tampering.
I want to hear more about that and I want it prosecuted.
9
Why do these men get in front of these podiums, cameras, reporters, and the American public and lie like this. It really speaks to a lost of soul, much less integrity. And HE's a father and a husband. Let's think about that fir a second. He's a father. It's just disgusting that our government is no better than all of the "bad actor" states that we look down upon and accuse of being evil. We are the biggest threats to our own domestic peace as well as world pease overall. The evil that we have sown and continue to sew will certainly come back to us at some point. And the clueless, uninterested, almost illiterate American public will cry why do they hate us so much.
4
I want to have Congress look at his taxes, as well as, investigate whether he has some cushy accounts in Switzerland or the Bahamas that were given to him during the private meeting with Epstein's lawyers.
To my mind, all of the "public servants" appointed by Trump need to be audited financially so that they can prove one way or another that they are either beholding to the American citizens or are beholding to oligarchs and external foreign entities who are funding them to be their lackeys. My bet is based on Manafort, Page, Flynn, Price, Zinke, Pruitt, etc. that most of them fall into the former, rather than latter, category. Acosta is just the next of many to fall into this category.
8
Welcome to the Election Year Sleaze Wars:
Only a few weeks after President Trump was charged with raping a woman in the dressing room of an upscale NY department store, with the full details broadcast across the media by the alleged victim, a new sexual scandal explodes involving abuse and rape of underage girls that may involve former President Clinton.
Just a coincidence of timing that both stories appear only weeks apart? Hardly likely. Much more likely is this is part of election year politics, intended to smear political parties in the eyes of the all important women’s vote.
The charges against convicted pedophile, Epstein, was brought by the Federal Attorney Office of the Southern District of NY, that is directly under the authority of Attorney General Barr.
These charges follows the pattern of Trump’s usual strategy of always countering attacks by hitting back harder, in this case with even more sensational charges than what took place in the department store dressing room.
The saddest part of the story for the American electorate is that the charges against both Presidents are credible, given their longtime reputations as sexual predators.
3
He should resign. There can be no justification for that sort of leniency, given the weight of evidence that multitudes of young girls were trafficked by Epstein and his women accomplices that were given immunity in the plea deal. Hopefully, they will also be prosecuted. It is good DOJ is looking into the Acosta fiasco, but I wonder, why wasn’t anything done during the Obama administration? Might it have to do with the then Sec of State’s husband?
3
Could it be because Obama wasn’t president when this sweetheart deal took place and didn’t know about it? In fact, the SDNY credits the Miami Harold for alerting them to this travesty.
1
@J House Obama came into office in 2009. Why didn't Jeb or George Dubya Bush do something? Governor and President during this time period.
1
What a father with foresight and conviction would say—Acosta: “I wanted to help them—just as I would want to protect my own underaged daughters.” Oh. Right. His daughters are not nearly as vulnerable as these victims. Big difference.
2
Im a Trump supporter and this guy needs to go. Anyone who cuts a deal with a ChMo especially like he did needs to lose his job, straight up. If this was the best deal he could get then he was horrible at his job and shouldn't be trusted with any other job either. Hire slow fire fast.
3
"They [the prosecutors] insist that he go to jail, and put the world on notice that he was and is a sexual predator."
How many minorities go to jail for much less than sexual assaults and get to leave the prison walls to go to work?
And obviously being in prison didn't scare him straight so-to-speak.
3
How quickly we rush to judgment like an 18th century Parisian mob screaming for blood at the foot of the guillotine caring little about the facts once a salacious accusation is made. In recent years, Al Franken fell victim to the mob and now cries for political beheading abound at the first mention of a charge. The possibilty of innocence is not even a consideration. After all, we are so completely informed by unbiased cable tv which tells us what to think so we do not have to think for ourselves.
With condolences to my wife, I and my adult children are all attorneys. They include two criminal defense attorneys and one criminal prosecutor. Plea deals can be very complex, the more so when a serious charge is involved. Attorneys on both sides must carefully weigh all factors, including the credibility and availabilty of witnesses. CSometimes, even in the most heinous crimes, lack of sufficient admissable evidence causes charges to be reduced or even dropped. Murderers can get a plea of assault with a 10 year prison term, again, because evidence admissable in court will not support a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. That is our system and it is designed to make it difficult to covict someone.
We cannot possibly judge the involvment of Mr. Acosta in the plea deal for Mr. Epstein without knowing everything that prosecutors were faced with. And that cannot be determined without a thorough examination of the prosecutions file. Then and only then can Mr. Acosta be judged.
4
I have only one question for you
Who did you cast a ballot for in the 2016 Presidential Election?
Thought so.
4
@Gino G "How quickly"?? We have had over two years of THIS, or some permutation of this. We already know exactly what went on. You need to get your head out of the sand.
3
@Gino G
as a former deputy prosecutor:
Wait wait wait........... Tricky Richard protected and helped Epsteins victims by including payment of their attorney fees as part of the plea agreement.... ......then seals the deal ...... AND DOESN'T TELL THEM?????
4
The deal with Epstein also granted immunity to unnamed co-conspirators. Why? Why would a prosecutor do that? I think the fundamental reason for this deal was to keep Epstein quiet and protect some very rich, powerful men.
I hope journalists are investigating this part of the story.
30
I watched the entire press conference. Expected very little. He spoke well and made a compelling case for why things ended up as they did. Answered questions directly even though many were phrased in a way that showed reporter had pre-judged his actions. Looks like most posters to this are just stating their bias and didn’t actually watch and listen to what he said.
1
@Wallace Beall I listened to what he said. Just because he said it, doesn't make it true.
6
He lied. The Palm Beach state attorney at the time commented of Acosta’s press conference and he said Acosta is rewriting history.
11
Watching TV coverage of Acosta's remarks today, I noticed a large stain on the American flag on the right of the screen, to the rear and left of Acosta's left shoulder. There could be no more fitting metaphor.
8
I’m still trying to grasp the notion mentioned in the last paragraph about Trump staying away from bad apples. For heavens sake, there’s an entire orchard and he’s the tallest tree!
Truly mind boggling.
16
There are more incarcerated minorities serving years of prison time for small amounts of marijuana than this pedophile got for raping children. If you are rich in America laws don't apply to you. If your poor and get caught with a small amount of narcotics for personnel use? You heading to the can so the for profit prisons can make money for the man. Make America Gross Again
9
Read the comments; no matter how you look at it, there is only one conclusion: it is time to start impeachment proceedings.
Pelosi, Schumer, and the others: do your job, and do it now!
10
The defense of this child predator is unbelievable. He is a no good liar and that’s it. He must go and to jail.
6
What a liar
He met one on one at the Marriott in Miami with the lead defense lawyer to negotiate this down from a 50 page federal charge into a 13 month sleep over
18
Mr. Acosta nothing has changed in the eyes of the law from the early 2000s until today and your job as the Attorney General of Florida was to protect innocent children and to enforce the law! Rape and sexual assault of underage girls was unlawful then, as it is today. Nothing has changed! You stated today that you intervened because the state was going to allow Epstein to walk and you were adamant he should serve some jail time. If the state of Florida was going to allow Epstein to “walk” why did it take a 56 page indictment in order to achieve that? I’m sorry but this doesn’t add up. None of us consider 13 months with 6 days a week, 12 hours a day work release an appropriate sentence. Something stinks to high heaven and you sir, know what it is. You threw young girls (children) who had been sexually assaulted under your proverbial legal bus and must pay the consequences. The truth will come out and I for one can’t wait for these young women to begin speaking out.
11
He should be jailed for his corruption and the way that he worked with Epstein’s attorneys to hide Epstein and the others. Young defendants weren’t give their legal rights to even know about Acosta and his illegal dealings with sexual perverts preying on young girls who had no way to fight back.
He’s as guilty as anyone corrupting and hurting these young girls. He deserves everything bad that he’s enabled for them.
7
The hiding happened during a Democrat Administration. I wonder what high level Democrats were given immunity.
Acosta: today "our judges do not allow victim shaming by defense attorneys..."
Liar. The conservative media, defense attorneys and social media trolls STILL excoriate and victim blame women.
Liar.
10
"Chris Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax and a confidant of the president’s, said in a CNN interview on Tuesday evening that administration officials who have encountered the sort of coverage that Mr. Acosta has attracted generally do not last long.
“My experience with Donald Trump is if he sees somebody is a bad apple,” Mr. Ruddy said, “he will stay as far away from that person as possible.”
Let's see if Trump's fair-weather loyalty approach pays off. Will discarding the bad apple help shore up the barrel's declining lustre -- will Trump establish "Innocence by dissociation"?
4
Way to go Alex! The feds can now investigate the Florida DA's office too!
5
He is a liar. He was there.
6
There was a possible cover-up by Acosta in his case vs Epstein in Florida. There are numerous big-name co-conspirators of Epstein's Acosta may have become aware of and saw a scandal of epic proportions if the names came out. Now that Epstein is facing new charges there may be a few of his aides who will give up some of the names for less time in jail. If Brown's reporting last fall in the Miami Herald is found to be true then Acosta may be looking at a future without a federal job. Teflon Don will skate, as usual.
4
It stuns me that Acosta is trying to gingerly step through the mess he created. Not only did he facilitate the crimes of a child predator, but perhaps even more egregious was that the bargain was struck by Acosta at a restaurant with the defense lawyers (who he had previously worked with) where all parties agreed to keep the deal secret. How does he explain that not one of the victims were informed of the deal and allowed to express their opinion about it?
Under federal law, such plea deals have to be presented to victims in advance to ensure that they have input. Acosta doesn't get to tell us now, that the case was "complicated" and that he "wanted to help them".
Federal judge Kenneth Marra found that federal prosecutors led by Acosta had broken the law by hiding the agreement. Where is the ABA investigation into this gross breach of professional conduct? Acosta should not resign, he should be impeached.
20
Oooh
Lemme answer!
Over in the pages of the WSJ they give a vey believable reason for why they didn't inform these young women beforehand.
It seems that if they'd known that he was pleading guilty, they might have all sued him in criminal court for bigly amounts of money, and then these shady women, with obviously loose ethics might have sued him just for money, even though they were all making up stories of being sexually assaulted.
Yep. Sounds pretty stupid and lame, doesn't it?
1
One can only cry at the hypocrisy of Alexander Acosta, who says, with a sober expression, "I wanted to help them".
This is the same Alexander Acosta who last year, as Labor Secretary, tried to cut a program dedicated to combating international human trafficking in child and forced labor by nearly 80%. He tried to cut to the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB)’s budget in the 2020 budget —reducing the funding level to $18.5 million, but didn't get away with it.
Trump has nominated mostly criminals like Acosta. Mitch McConnell got them into the Cabinet. William Barr, who is a Federalist Society lapdog. Wilbur Ross the Russian money launderer through his Bank of Cyprus connections. Andrew Wheeler & David Bernhardt, who are owned by the US coal, mining and oil oligarchs. Steve Mnuchin, who is beholden to Goldman Sachs. Trump has surrounded himself with a cabal of crooks. all without ethics, morals or a hint of patriotism, who will protect Trump all the way, for their own enrichment. Sordid and disgusting is the new norm in D.C..
16
He wanted to "help" the victims???
By not telling him of the plea agreement?
I think not.
Horrible man, horrible excuses.
16
America is fast becoming the "swamp" Trump has claimed to drain. The growing embrace of such ethical invertibrates as Acosta, Flynn, McConnell, Mnuchin, Barr, Ross, DeVos, Pruitt, Price, Gorka, Zinke, blah, blah, blah by this "President" should insult any decent American.
Unfortunately, far from being insulted, We increasingly accept, champion, condone and even mimic these degenerate's conduct.
It's become increasingly depressing to awake each day, knowing I'll face another assault on this Nation's historic aspirational morality and character.
It appears that We actually do have the governance we deserve.
8
@Jeff K He had no intention of "draining" the swamp. He lives in one.
1
Acosta's story has a terrible ring of truth. We love to think we are indignantly on the side of the vulnerable against the rich and arrogant, but it could well have been true that these girls and young women could have been discredited on the witness stand, by skilled and ruthless defense lawyers.
What we need now though is some investigative journalism, looking into what was actually happening in the Florida courts in those days. Were wealthy men getting convicted? It's too easy to speculate, and to judge what sounds plausible: but there are actual records available, and someone should look into them.
You should read the articles about this in the Miami Herald.it will answer many questions.They did there homework. Acosta is lying.
3
How many sex crimes did Epstein commit while he was “serving his sentence?”
Thousands of photos recently found in his Manhattan mansion suggest he’s been a busy guy since his “prison term” ended.
8
Had Epstein been a Hollywood director with big budget movie success, he would be off the hook. Until they start cleansing that town, we are just going through the motions with Epstein.
How many hundreds or thousands of children continued to be violated and abused because Mr. Acosta abdicated his responsibility and allowed Epstein to continue to walk the street? Epstein should have been locked away this whole long time.
6
Exactly ,he probably abused girls during the day while he “was working” during his sentencing.
2
I do not understand why there is not more discussion of the impossibility of "teen prostitution" if that is correct. Some of the coverage seems to indicate that the charge itself is legally inaccurate: for underage, there is only "trafficking."
1
@Gregory J.
No, completely wrong
2
Investigative reporters - keep digging. There’s more to this story.
8
Acosta turns victims into prostitutes and Trump expresses concern for Acosta.
This episode speaks volumes about how the administration's opinion of women is manifested.
20
In Trump world it is OK to grope and insult women, OK to cheat workers and small businesses, OK to get emoluments, OK to hire illegal labor, OK to declare multiple bankruptcies, OK to traffic children for sex--cabinet members are still approved, politicians still get elected. What will they do next, legalize slavery?
28
Not being mentioned, but should be are Acosta's plans to cut the labor department's budget for dealing with sex trafficking by 80%.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/09/labor-secretary-alexander-acosta-sex-trafficking-budget-cut
17
Acosta fits right in with the Trump Administration. Defend the rich, then obfuscate and lie while you throw the victims under the bus. These guys are the face of the Republican Party. You know, the “family values” folks. I’m sick and tired of the cesspool in Washington, and I’m sick and tired of Republican House and Senate members whose silence actually protects and defends this evil behavior. I’m looking at you, Senator Rob Portman.
12
I’m in Columbus . I’ve been emailing him about his hypocrisy
4
Only someone morally bankrupt could be an apologist for Epstein. Wait a minute--that explains Acosta and Trump.
11
Protest and explain all you want, Mr. Acosta. There is a special place in hell for those who aid and abet the destruction of innocent children's lives, leaving the perpetrator to claim more victims.
No expert legal deal-cutting explanations will ever excuse what you have allowed to happen.
8
Acosta dropped all federal charges and protected the co-conspirators. He was the federal prosecutor so he is saying the best he could get is nothing. He also has a nice bridge he want to sell you.
8
The real story seeems to be that the democrat Palm Beach County prosecutor refused to bring charges, forcing the cops to kick it up tp the feds. Plenty of blame, but why give the Palm Beach County DA a pass when their cops did a fantastic job building a case he ignored. https://townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/2019/07/10/get-acosta-but-get-the-right-guy-too-n2549873
2
Because these people have either skeletons in the closet they’d rather keep closed, or further career ambitions in mind.
4
Wait wait wait...........
Tricky Richard protected and helped Epsteins victims by including payment of their attorney fees as part of the plea agreement....
......then seals the deal ......
AND DOESN'T TELL THEM?????
8
I wonder if Epstein included Acosta in his little games, and then held that over his head for the original non-presecution. We know that Acosta met with the Epstein's lawyers away from the official offices--THAT'S where the deal was made. Did any money change hands? Even tRump knows about the little girls, and when he saw a bunch of them in Epstein's pool, said something about Epstein being so nice to "let the neighborhood kids use his pool." Remember, tRump used to talk about dating his own daughter. The filthy rich operate outside the law, moral and otherwise, and never pay any consequences. Anybody think this is the way it should be? Do you like these associations, with sex criminals (and tax evaders,) of whom tRump himself is also an admitted one, with the "person" who is supposed to be the president of the United States? You going to vote for this? See what we mean when we say "deplorable?" What's Nancy and Chuck going to do about this? I'm guessing nothing, as usual.
9
The vetting process in this administration is alarming. Dangerous. A serious threat to national security. All the guardrails--"my" generals, e.g.--have fled or been fired and replaced by the eminently unqualified. Sir Kim's cable sums up our standing in the rest of the world.
How long before we face a serious threat that the administration has no idea how to handle?
I'm tired of being outraged, and I'm tired of fearing the future.
12
In addition to investigating Acosta over his role in this plea deal, I think there are a number of other questions that need to be answered:
1. Who was the judge who approved the plea deal, and why did he approve it, given Epstein's background.
2. There were apparently previous investigations of Epstein's involvement with underage girls. Why did none of them lead to prosecution?
3. Was the 6 days/week release from jail part of the plea agreement or was that a decision made by the Florida jail where he was doing time? If the latter, who approved it?
4. Why wasn't he prosecuted under state law, which is where most child sex abuse cases are tried? (It seems the Palm Beach police asked for federal involvement because of concerns about the state attorney's handling of the case. What were their concerns?)
5. Who approved his early release from jail, 13 months into an 18 month sentence?
It seems like there were lots of unusual aspects of the 2005-2008 case, and the plea deal may not be the most significant. I wish the Miami Herald had been more comprehensive in their investigation.
9
"I wanted to help them", by making a sweetheart deal with the perpetrators lawyers, in private, that cut all of the victims out of the process, preventing them from being able to testify, while granting vast immunity for him and the other prosecutors, with the result being an 18 month prison term, whereby the perpetrator could spend 6 out of 7 days a week at his luxury business offices.
In the end, Mr. Epstein spent a total of 72 in jail in exchange for immunity for a decade of sexual assault of under-age girls.
It may be just me, and my ignorance of how the law works, but it's seems that Mr. Acosta "helped" himself, the other prosecutors, Mr. Epstein defense lawyers, and Mr. Epstein himself a heck of a lot more then he "helped" the real victims in this case.
7
ONLY THE BEST PEOPLE.
10
Every day brings a new reason to vote out every Republican on November 3, 2020, starting with the wanna-be dictator sitting behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, and his chief enabler in the Senate, Mitch McConnell.
Alex Acosta is simply today's reason.
There will be yet another reason tomorrow, without a doubt.
We the People own this government. After all, we pay for it, and according to our founding documents, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ..." (Declaration of Independence) and "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Republicans do not believe in our government, they do not want to govern, and they prove they do not know how to govern in the interest of all of us.
We need to do a through scrubbing on November 3, 2020 at the ballot box, removing every person with an (R) after his or her name.
It is high time we did that job. First things first.
18
The "amazing" Acosta - trying so desperately to dance to the sounds of hollow promises and empty empathy.
Frankly, I am bamboozled by just how "tough" Acosta truly believed or thought or assumed Epstein's plea deal was. A 13 month sentence in which the convicted predator was allowed to leave the prison for 6 out of 7 days per week at a 12-hour stretch so he could continue to work and make money? Oh yeah, that toughness is so brutal, it's practically unbearable.
Meanwhile, the kind of tough, cruel, hurtful, and heinous actions caused by Epstein to his many victims goes without barely a blink or sigh or nod.
Acosta's priorities and sensibilities were so skewed, they could have been mistaken as an example of the leaning tower of Pisa.
423
@Marge Keller Add to that the immunity from further prosecution, an agreement to not talk to any of the plaintives or other victims, an agreement to not inform them of this deal (and a failure to inform them that they could still pursue civil lawsuits).
66
@Marge Keller: Acosta evidently didn't even threaten a federal trial that probably would have produced a more rigorous plea agreement at the very least. The guy totally wussed out.
37
@bounce33
Exceptional addition of crucial and vital information. Thank you very much for including this. WOW and then some.
19
Acosta’s explanations are dubious. If a prosecutor truly believes his witnesses are shaky, he must consider whether he should even go forward with his case.
Thus, I don’t buy the shaky witnesses explanation. Many state prosecutors have set up family violence units with victim advocates to assist witnesses go through the trauma of having to testify. Among those jurisdictions, there is the additional support of independent child advocacy centers that provide psychological support and even housing if appropriate.
Thus, I cannot buy that Acosta lacked similar resources to support his so called shaky witnesses.
He simply got caught giving out favors in the form of leniency, and is now trying to cover up with his mistakes with implausible reasons.
We are not buying it.
18
@Ben
You're missing the point. The problem isn't that he lacked victim advocates or other support services for the witnesses. The problem is that the witnesses were all runaways, prostitutes, homeless, etc. - people who typically have criminal records, including for "integrity offenses" for drugs, theft, check-kiting, etc. And the reality is that juries tend not to give much credence to testimony from witnesses like that.
1
Trust me, I understand that all too well. I have over 35 years experience as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. Prosecutors deal with the witnesses the State must present. I have had cases with unlikeable witnesses as a prosecutor and juries have given life sentences on such cases. Sometimes, cases need to be tried. Sometimes prosecutors need a back bone.
Epstein’s case would have been easy to prove because all of his extraneous offenses would have been admissible as part of a common plan, scheme, etc. I have tried cases with extraneous offense and have seen juries return five minute guilty verdicts in such cases. Again, sometimes prosecutors need a backbone.
6
If he had truly wanted to help the victims, and got the very best deal possible, then why was it kept secret from them ?
And why the bonus sweetheart deal
of giving any co-conspirators, present or future, a complete free pass ?
Makes no sense whatsoever, and shows at the very least that Acosta is unable to show contrition. You have to wonder, whose pocket is he in ? He needs to go immediately.
9
Acosta bears a striking resemblance to the Stephen Miller weirdo in the Whitehouse.
20
Acosta's intervention in this case to get billionaire Epstein off the hook, merely confirms what we already know - that there are two systems of justice in this country - one for the rich and well connected, especially if they are political donors, and one for the poor. Acosta's attempt to dismiss his culpability makes it even worse. He should resign immediately.
13
@Whole Grains
To Epstein's case also add that of O. J. Simpson, who was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend.
That may have have had an impact on Acosta. If Simpson could get acquitted with a powerful legal team, what likelihood was there that Epstein could be convicted of federal charges that were never brought?
@Whole Grains
It has yet to be shown how Epstein came by enough money for his billionaire lifestyle. He does not have any real financial Statements or records. He did not have a job, other than the proverbial "Hedge Fund Mgr.", undocumented. I am beginning to connect the dots between prominent, rich men and the supply of female children to sexually abuse, children taken off the streets with no families or source of income who are subject to sexual victimization.
4
@Linda Miilu I suspect that this will be the tip of the iceberg.
1
That press conference by Acosta was the lamest excuse for his negligence or malfeasance as the DA. He should be fired and disbarred. The “world was a different place” is beyond belief. The laws were the same then as they are now. He should be under investigation for corruption himself.
18
Acosta suggests that sexual assault victims are treated very differently now. Really? A judge in NJ suggested the rape victim could have kept her legs closed. Another judge, I believe in VA, was lenient because the perpetrator came from a good family. And of course, the judge in CA gave the rapist who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman a fairly light sentence. They all make me sad that they don't recognize the devastating impact of sexual assault--then or now. The purported party of family values and protective of life apparently doesn't extend that to girls and women who are sexually assaulted--not then, not now. Sad. Sad. Sad.
20
Acosta, a creep among creeps, broke the law, pure and simple, when he intentionally failed to advise the victims of his "deal" with Epstein. "I wanted to help them"? Are you kidding me? There is clearly no limit to the moral depravity surrounding everything Trump. Both Epstein and Acosta should do lengthy sentences behind bars, where they can find out first hand how the prison population feels about child molesters.
16
Using DJT's preferred language: Acosta was/is a disgrace. Trump own swamp
5
Is the Times still running their monthly competition for the worst member of Trump’s administration? I smell a winner...
7
He calls that going to jail? What say you Mr. Orwell?
7
And to toughen the deal, Acosta received a private prison wing and six day a week work release. While marijuana sellers can spend decades in prison; subway fare evaders get sent to Rykers Island, and three strike misdemeanors sit in prison for decades.
19
I watched his press conference. Time and again he used the excuse that it was a different time and things were different then. Sorry, not buying it. It was what, 10 or 12 years ago, not in the 1700's. Do the right thing and hand in your resignation Mr. Acosta.
21
Acosta stated that "there was no assurance that Epstein would abide by the agreement"- if so, why did he enter into any agreement with Epstein? seems like the feds could have interviewed the victims and filed their own indictment and bypassed the state altogether.
9
Harry Truman said, "The buck stops here." Don Trump says, "I don't know him/her/them very well."
14
This may actually go much higher than we imagine! And by that one might mean the White House!
8
@Frea
Oh, I hope so.
3
@Claire I agree. I suspect it is the tip of the iceberg.
1
It is hard to understand how Mr. Acosta accepted the decision of the Palm Beach justice system; I don't think he even did, but it could have been the most expedient decision to be had and now he was stuck with it to explain to us and not very convincingly. This makes it even more reprehensible if one thinks about it as children's mental health and emotions were and are still are at risk.
That Mr. Acosta kept praising the SDNY's ability to prosecute was all the more suspect for me. He seemed as if he was joining forces with them, as if it seemed to alleviate guilt from this man who could have done more while serving as US Attorney in the souther district of Florida, that is, by investigating Epstein's crimes still further and making a stronger case to put the man away as he could have been in the first place, instead, we get the ridiculous sentence we all have trouble digesting today.
For those of us looking from the outside in, it does look like a sweetheart deal and nothing else.
5
Hollywood, Washington, the popular culture.
The rot is deep in this society.
Instead of assigning blame, look within.
1
I am prepared to loathe any and all Trump appointees. I watched Acosta's press conference and came away impressed. He's a sharp, articulate man who's comfortable in his own skin and who I believe tried to do the best he could under difficult circumstances. Our public-sector attorneys are simply not up to doing protracted battle against a platoon of top-hole defense attorneys with unlimited resources. Acosta seems very pleased that Epstein is going to get another turn in the barrel.
3
The British ambassador to the U.S. had the decency to resign when his comments about our president (which were right on target) were leaked because he knew he could no longer be effective in discharging the duties of his office. The secretary of labor has lost his credibility and should have the decency to do the same. Instead he twists slowly in the wind while trump takes no position.
13
Lie, deny, blame others, repeat as needed. That's all Trump and anyone around him knows and does. And as far as staying away from 'bad apples'? Everyone surrounding Trump, in fact maybe everyone he knows is a very bad apple.
10
It is all going to come out once Epstein’s -retrial motions fail. After that, when he is looking at the rest of his life in jail, he will start talking. We all just have to be patient. If he is not given bail, watchtower see if his lawyers ask for him to be in protective custody in jail, not in the general population. That could be an interesting “...tell...”.
6
That’s right, blame your staff, deflect responsibility to your staff, and dance around the question. This is how predators are protected.
Resign already.
17
Well, the Congress should investigate. That would be the fairest way to handle this issue at this point.
Epstein obviously suffered a conviction as a sex offender but was given special treatment in serving his jail sentence. Why he was convicted of a charge that was probably lighter than he deserved and receive special treatment are reasons to investigate, I think.
5
It's probably just me, but Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta sounds and comes across to me as insincere, desperate, pathetic, and arrogant. Once again his focus seems to be more on HIM and abut him than on justice. I guess admitting mistakes were made and less than stellar judgments were reached is non-existent in that world.
15
Alex Acosta is still Labor Secretary because he knows the names of the pedophiles involved in the Jeffrey Epstein sex ring, and nobody should be surprised that Epstein pal, Donald Trump, wasn’t in the thick of it.
Nobody has asked Acosta why he never kept the victims informed about this plea deal or whether he had private meetings about the deal with Epstein’s lawyers?
Acosta let Epstein spend 12 hours a day outside the jail after he plead guilty and was picked up by a personal driver from the jail.
“My relationship with the president is outstanding,” Acosta said. “He has very publicly made clear that I’ve got his support.”
Acosta is proud that he has the support of a man bragged that he loved to grab women by the genitalia; has a dozen women accusing him of sexual abuse (lawsuits pending), including one who alleges Trump, and he raped her
bragged about being able to walk into a room full beauty pageant contestants who were naked or half-naked because he owned the pageant.
Trump made payments to women to keep them quiet and avoid publicity.
Vanity Fair reported today about a private party in Mar a Lago 1992 involving 28 girls attended only by Epstein and Trump.
What is just as bad is that Democrats did an abysmal job of vetting Acosta when he was a nominee for Labor Secretary.
Eventually, Epstein along with his recruiters, money men, schedulers, planners and office managers and others will talk to avoid prison or shave time off time from long prison sentences.
8
His remarks sounded like a whole bunch of phony baloney excuses for not putting this monster Epstein behind bars for life when he had the chance. Now we have more victims traumatized for life by this animal and all his co conspirators and enablers - what about them? Why are they not in jail too?
For Acosta to put the burden of proof on these child victims of sexual exploitation and rape to now sue Epstein in a civil suit is unfair. They should file a class action suit for a billion dollars and make him pay - he should lose his fancy planes and fancy houses and fancy boats and live in a cell for the rest of his life. He has ruined countless lives - children have lost their childhood and innocence because of this animal and his criminal organization. People need to pay for these crimes and go to jail.
11
Acosta is history. Regardless of the merits of his explanation, he just ain’t worth the trouble.
He heads the Department of Labor, an anachronism bordering on worthless except for the stats it generates, which could be easily assumed by Treasury or some such.
Abolish DOL, along with the Department of Education. Unnecessary bureaucracies.
2
Jeffrey Epstein & more importantly, his "co-conspirators" are protected by the most powerful obstacle in American political culture. And what would that be? Money? Social Media? Russian military intelligence? The impenetrable credulity of American evangelicals? No, its worse. No doubt all of these forces are currently deployed in their collective defense. But their most powerful advantage is concealed in the net of intimidation, confusion & the seeming contradictions that move understanding of the matter well outside the comfort of cliche and prior experience. Complexity is the best camouflage! The capacity of US citizens to grasp political dynamics is limited to concepts that can be captured by classic movie titles or the unforgettable headlines from history-making events. Without an analogy to Pearl Harbor, 9-11 or Watergate, there is little hope of popular interest or understanding. Consequently, it seems likely that Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators have little to fear. As long as the complexity of roles & events requires more than a 7th grade reading level or more than a 90 second video clip online, it will remain beyond the grasp of most American voters.
4
Listening to Acosta say he did the best he could is like listening to Biden say he wished he could've done something about Anita Hill's treatment under cross examination.
These men were the officials in charge. They had the power to enforce any aspects of the case to any limits they found appropriate. And what did they do? As little as possible, while offering their limp apologies years later.
Their responses are beneath contempt.
7
Indefensible. Period.
8
"I wanted to help them." Not only did he not help these past victims, he failed failed to protect the future victims of this predator.
10
Acosta is just another Trump appointed hack not up to the task at hand and fumbling around for all to see. Will we really be shocked and surprised if Acosta shows up on those tapes? I for one will not.
6
We have no president for all the people.
We have no Congress.
The SCOTUS majority is owned by the illegitimate pretend president.
The military is politicized by the fake Russian proxy in the White House.
Perhaps it's time, that we the people, seriously consider, that our future existence depends on us doing the job of our supposedly elected officials that are a joke and lie.
We want our country back, now.
7
"Mr. Acosta has privately reached out to allies for help handling the public relations debacle and inquired about potential post-government work should he be forced out, according to two people familiar with the matter."
He has already proven that he can get the worst of the worst off with a very light sentence, so hanging out a shingle to represent murderers, rapists, child sex abusers and similar low-lifes should be a natural. Somebody has to represent those kinds of people, right?
I suggest he start planning his next gig now.
9
“But while expressing empathy for the victims...”
Come on, NYTimes. He did no such thing! Why this generous line?
4
This is about Epstein not Acosta. When Democrats are at the receiving end as in Rick Staples, no one goes on a witch hunt. the Democrats are simply opportunist attempting to sling mud if at all possible. Epstein is, as sure as I can be, a despicable individual.
1
There needs to be an investigation into why sexual victims budget was gutted
9
To think that Acosta’s job as Secretary of Labor includes oversight of sex trafficking, and that he has requested serious cuts in the budget for that part of his portfolio. It’s obscene.
9
Acosta has also, as Secretary of Labor, stripped funding from programs aimed at addressing sex trafficking. Why?
5
Acosta says: ‘“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.”’
You gave him a ridiculously generous deal, ghosted his victims, immunized his co-conspirators, and as if that weren’t enough, you let him leave jail six days a week for 12 hours a day.
3
All I know is that the British Ambassador told the truth and he's resigned. Acosta's full throttle self-defense was a performance for President Trump. Trump's review is all that will matter. Those who who don't it's "off with their heads". From the NYTimes list of those fired or forced to resign so far (link to the NYTimes listing follows) - Scott Pruitt, Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, Thomas P. Bossert , Rex W. Tillerson, David J. Shulkin, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Michael T. Flynn, Andrew McCabe , John McEntee , Rob Porter , Brenda Fitzgerald , Stephen K. Bannon , Anthony Scaramucci , Reince Priebus , K. T. McFarland, James B. Comey , Katie Walsh Patrick M. Shanahan , Randolph D. Alles , Kirstjen , Brock Long , John F. Kelly , Maj. Gen. Ricky Waddell, Nadia Schadlow , David Sorensen , Carl Higbie,
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/16/us/politics/all-the-major-firings-and-resignations-in-trump-administration.html
7
What's the deal - was it a 13 month sentence or what some media reports is a day per week for 13 months? He was out 6 days a week so he could run his businesses?? Seems like only a 56 day sentence! What is it Mr. Acosta?
2
Surprised not to have seen this mentioned yet: Acosta says he did what he had to do to assure Epstein's registration as a sex offender.
To what end? And how did that work out for everyone? Any significant limitations on where Epstein could live? What he could do? Doesn't seem to have changed his lifestyle or his behavior one iota. How many underage girls have been to Epstein's UES townhouse since his "registration"?
Mr. Acosta and Mr. Epstein should be sharing a cell.
5
Acosta has explained, and there is no doubt. Alex needs a new job.
16
This little weasel is now worried about showing up on the tapes that Epstein made.
This is great. Take all these low life cretins down, now.
27
Did Bill Clinton ever meet Acosta on the tarmac somewhere?
7
Defending the indefensible.
11
Trump never picks anyone for a job who is eminently qualified. He only picks people who can protect him, shield him, take the heat for him, assume the blame for him, and even go to jail for him. Acosta is just one more in a long line of campaign or administration officials who fall into this group. Innocent young girls suffered enormously because of Acosta's sweetheart deal for the sexual predator Epstein. Now he wants credit for being the hero? The disgust factor grows by the nanosecond.
753
@H. Clark. I agree. One has to wonder what Trump has to hide. We know he hung out with Epstein. We know Trump's a man who gropes any woman he wants. We know Trump walked into naked models in changing rooms with no shame. We know he has no morality (so why he's backed by the religious right I will never understand), we know our dear president has been accused of rape. Give the kind of man Trump is, it seems unlikely that he's going to hold back and refuse offers of sex at parties with underage girls. One imagines Trump's personal involvement is why he might wish to shield Epstein. And reward the tool for that process with a government position of course. And so the swamp goes on. Rich and powerful white guys get away with crimes for which ordinary people are locked away for life.
50
@Stella-Here's a very thorough investigative piece revealing some of what Trump has to hide. Hopefully the underage teens and young women forced to sign NDAs to work at the Trump Model Management will be overturned.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-donald-trumps-one-stop-parties-attendees-recall-cocaine-and-very-young-models
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/6/1578544/-The-Untold-Story-of-Trump-Model-Management-A-Daily-Kos-Exclusive-Part-1
20
@H. Clark
Those people that are eminently qualified would never work for this corrupt president. He can only get “D” list actors.
17
Why did Acosta give immunity to "unnamed co-conspirators"?
Who are those people? What did that have to do with his claim he was making sure Jeffrey Epstein went to jail?
It seems designed to protect unnamed people involved in this,
not lock up Epstein.
17
It is disheartening that almost all of the comments I have read here so far (about 10 of them) seem oblivious to what Mr. Acosta actually said during his rather unusual news conference today...or even oblivious to what was reported in the New York Times article to which people are presumably responding. I despise Trump, but I am beginning to understand his utter disdain for the ability of the population to get things right...even when the facts are clearly laid out for them.
4
@paul springle Did Acosta say why the plea agreement covered unnamed co-conspirators? If so, I guess I missed that part. I’m wondering how protecting them helped the victims, as he claimed was his intention with the deal.
8
When you make a deal without the knowledge of the victim, it’s illegal. Plain and simple!!!!!!!!
8
@Steve Did you watch the news conference? Acosta addressed that issue. It was a little hard to follow, but I think if you can find a transcript you'll agree that the reasons he gave made a certain amount of sense. Even for the most honorable and sincere of prosecutors, making decisions such as those that were made in this case has got to be really difficult. Much as I hate giving anything to Trump or anyone who is willing to work for him, Acosta and his people may have gotten this one right.
This is Trump's "art of the deal" on steroids. Lose everything and declare victory.
2
Acosta paints a picture where he is a hero for sending Epstein to day camp for a short time period. This is not right and he should resign. Period.
17
My guess is that maybe Mr. Acosta was one of the guys that attended Epstein's "parties." We already have at least one of the women claiming that she "attended" to Alan Dershowitz as part of her "duties." (quotation marks mine) Which may very well explain why Dershowitz represented Epstein along with...wait for it...none other than Kenneth Starr the guy who investigated and condemned Clinton for lying about the Monica Lewinski affair and also why Dershowitz is a Trump supporter..even though he's lost numerous friends over that fact. My guess is that Trump knew Dershowitz was a willing participant which left Dershowitz with no choice but to support him.
And you can well believe that Trump is sweating it, hoping that Epstein won't reveal him as one of the other participants in this sordid affair. After all, Epstein established a "modeling agency" and he's been quoted as saying he wanted to model it after Trump's "modeling" agency. Which makes me wonder if the FBI ever investigated Trump's "Modeling" agency.
This is all extremely nauseating and outrageous. Anyone left that still supports Trump and his immoral gang has some serious thinking to do.
What say Ye, Evangelicals?
28
I listened to Acosta for a while. In essence, his "excuse" was that ten years ago everything was different. A very weak explanation. Ten years ago, sex with a minor was rape. It was a felony. And you went to real jail, not sleep-over night-time jail. His comments were unconvincing. In my view, he needs to resign.
34
Something is telling me that the mud is about to hit the fan. Big time.
12
Why did Acosta not follow the law and inform the victims as required? He could have done that but did not. Enough said.
8
NY Times, you really owe it to readers to mention, in every single article on this issue, the shocking and even criminal acts Acosta's office committed to please Epstein and his attorneys at every juncture. Not all citizens can keep up with every detail, and this article glosses over all of the actions which are so outraging the public.
The offers of change of filing district, the offers of no media notification, the agreement to not notify victims (a federal crime for which Acosta, presumably, is subject to indictment?), the obscene overtures by the Sheriff's department to comfort Epstein... these are all crucial details in this case and the reason that America is so disgusted. This is not simply a case of a bad plea deal; those happen daily. This is the grossest miscarriage of justice, aided and abetted by the Secretary of Labor in a monumental and hopefully career-ending dereliction of his duty.
27
If Acosta wanted to help the victims then why hide the plea agreement from them ?
12
Trump is angry that the sentence was so harsh.
6
Acosta appears to look and sound hollow.
Not an ounce of human compassion.
9
@Lynn Russell
Neglected to mention credibility in the comment.
That was just reinforced by Palm Beach State's Attorney Krischer who indicated if I am correct, that secret negotiations took place between Acosta and Epstein's attorneys.
Kindly show this Secretary to the door.
4
Start talkin' now, Acosta. No man with any morals would have sanctioned the offensive deal you engineered for Epstein.
Who are you protecting? Who did Epstein call to pull strings? Who flew with Epstein on "Lolita Air", his private jet?
These men (and woman), Democrat or Republican, need to be punished. It doesn't matter if it's an ex-president like Clinton or a current one like Trump - they all need to be brought to justice.
Make no mistake, Acosta, your legacy is already burned to a cinder. The only question now is whether you are going to swept up in the net or if you are going to attempt at long last to do the right thing.
520
@Otis Tarnow-Loeffler-Florida's prosecutors lied to the judge. Police had corroborating evidence, including phone records and messages with girls’ names, phone numbers and appointment times. At least 80 victims and possibly hundreds more. And Acosta covers up.
https://www.staugustine.com/news/20190322/lawyer-for-epstein-victim-says-judge-was-told-falsehood
43
@Otis Tarnow-Loeffler #Acosta I had to miss the presser...Just wondering if he gave any explanation at all as to why he granted full immunity to any all past, now, and future co-conspirators of Epstein??
22
@Otis Tarnow-Loeffler
There is no justice in the USA.
15
My experience with Donald Trump is if he sees somebody is a bad apple,” Mr. Ruddy said, “he will stay as far away from that person as possible.”
Does that mean Trump tries to stay away from himself?
7
@ZHR
No, just Democrats and so-called ‘progressives.’
1
“My experience with Donald Trump is if he sees somebody is a bad apple,” Mr. Ruddy said, “he will stay as far away from that person as possible.”
I’d say that bad apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
4
I watched this presser and blacked out. Why, because I heard Acosta say Epstein went to jail. 12 hours out and nights spent in jail, is not incarceration. Because they offered the victims a chance to obtain money damages. How would they retain legal representation against an extremely wealthy man. Because the victims were not informed of the deal, which is illegal. Finally, because Acosta didn’t apologize.
21
It was claimed in another NYT article that Kenneth Starr threatened to investigate the private lives of the prosecutors in connection with the investigation. if so, isn't that extortion, and why isn't that being investigated?
16
@jon
No, it isn't. Extortion is if A says to B, "I know you cheated on your wife and I will tell her unless you give me x." It is not extortion for A to say to B, "I will investigate you, and if I find out you cheat on your wife, I will disclose that publicly."
Drain the swamp! Current administration has become just as much of a swamp as we have had in the past. Something about men, power and money. The swamp is beyond draining.
3
After viewing the entire press conference, I believe Mr. Acosta. the public will never know all of the legal wrangling that goes on during these closed session negotiations. Based on the high powered attorneys Mr. Epstein could hire, Acosta chose the lesser of the two evils. Question now is, why did the Florida prosecutors not try harder? Florida is a mess!
1
@Stanley Wow! Somebody who actually watched the news conference before shooting off his mouth. Hang in there Stanley. You may not win a lot of friends by basing your views on the facts...but you will be behaving like a real American. In America everybody is innocent until proven guilty...everybody...even Mr. Acosta.
@Paul Sprinkle There is not enough time in the next century to wait for all of the criminals associated with this administration to stand trial.
1
So who, exactly, now has the power to let Epstein go -- on bail, a pardon, 'for lack of evidence' or for some other legal detail?
Can the current lead prosecutor just suddenly drop the charges, saying he didn't think he could win against Epstein's expensive legal defenders?
How about Barr? Can Barr just say he didn't see enough evidence, and then close the case? Would anyone, anywhere be able to stop him?
Can Trump just pardon Epstein, no matter what any prosecutor or court says?
Not that any of today's law enforcement big dogs would stoop to taking a $5-, $10- or $50-million bribe.
Nor, I'm sure, would Trump just pardon someone who had so seriously harmed so many poor children just because the accused perp is one of the few people on the planet who could easily dump $1 billion into a secret bank account controlled by, well, someone or other.
Oh, wait....
1
I investigated child sexual assault cases from 1982 to 1991. I handled about five cases each month during that time. I didn't handle any sex trafficking cases but I can speak to the excuses Acosta gave for his utter failure to do his job.
1) No victim of a sex crime wants to testify, but most understand how important it is to stand up to the person who hurt them. Prosecutors' offices have Victim Services' people who prepare victims to testify. Therapists can help the victims deal with their guilt and shame before trial. Acosta had more than thirty victims to choose from. Surely there were ten strong victims to tell their story at trial. Juries are always a toss up but that number of victims telling complementary stories would almost guarantee a conviction.
2) I'm unaware of any changes in the law that protects victims any more now than they were protected then. It's up to the prosecutor to protect the victim as much possible while she's on the stand.
3) US attorneys are equipped to deal with high-priced defense counsel. They have the resources to take on such a case. If not, they can ask the attorney general for more resources. Given the nature of the crime, it's unlikely he would have been denied.
None of Acosta's "reasons" hold water. Whatever his motivation was, he sold out the victims for his benefit, not theirs.
29
@Marlowe If your experience is what you say it is, thank you for helping us establish a useful perspective.
The witnesses.
Always a problem in cases like this and more so back in the day when they could be subject to witness shaming. Some would have felt intimidated by having to face off against the rich and powerfully connected. Some would have been paid off and some may have been flat out unreliable.
The me-too movement has exposed HR departments for siding with management and "hushing up" victims. The Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey cases have shown how difficult it is to work with witnesses - whatever the reason.
As repugnant as we find all this, maybe Mr. Acosta has a point.
1
@Mike Edwards: The witness against Spacey evidently destroyed relevant evidence that could have been exculpatory. That blows the case.
2
@Mike Edwards Right on Mike. Instead of pretending conditions were not different for sex crime victims, even a few short years ago, blinds us to the fact that we have actually made some progress in this area...real progress. Denying facts because they don't suit our opinions, as all of us are prone to do from time to time, robs us of both the value and the comfort the truth can provide.
'"My experience with Donald Trump is if he sees somebody is a bad apple,” Mr. Ruddy said, “he will stay as far away from that person as possible.”
How I wish Mr. Trump is not so blind as to himself.
Acosta's point about getting jail time for Epstein seems fair until you learn that jail time involved release to "work" 12 hours a day, six days a week.
That Acosta let that get through is reason enough for him to resign.
7
@Anne Acosta stated flatly during his news conference that the deal his people worked out included real jail time. He said today that it was Florida's decision to hand Epstein daily get out of jail free cards so he could work...not his. We really owe it to people in government to listen to them when they show us the respect of coming forward and opening themselves up to serious questioning. You can hardly blame them for not wanting to go on the record when so many people pay no attention to what they say.
Thank you Mr. Acosta, your performance just guaranteed this story is not going away. Hopefully we’re going learn how the rich and powerful play by different set of rules and finally get to see their long overdue comeuppance.
431
@MLB
No, as usual they will get away Scott free
2
@MLB-And also how the AG Barr tainted Dept. of Justice makes legal threats and provides cover: "Jeffrey Epstein plea deal must stand, prosecutors tell sex abuse victims" - Suspected sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was handed another break by the Department of Justice on Monday (June 24, 2019) when federal prosecutors rejected his victims’ efforts to throw out his plea deal and prosecute him for abusing dozens of underage girls. In the 35-page motion, filed in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia, federal prosecutors said that there is no legal basis to invalidate Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement — and they warned the federal judge in the case against doing the same."
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article231916968.html
12
@Ann, the US no longer has an honest Justice Department. Instead, Trump has a large office of taxpayer-paid personal Public Defenders - or so it seems.
1
How does Mr. Acosta define "going to jail" or "being put behind bars"?? How many prisoners are given the opportunity to spend 12 hrs a day, 6 days a week out of confinement and at liberty to work as they please in comfort of their own business office?
How much money was Mr. Acosta paid to secure this plush deal?
Is anyone investigating the private meetings he is reported to have had with Mr Epstein's associates during the period of time this deal was being worked out?
370
@Barbara in the hotel?
5
I hate to say this, but after watching Acosta's news conference, I do not believe that this horrific episode will turn anyone against Trump. The pundits saw through his comments and lost no time pointing out the inconsistencies. But the average person tuning into the press conference saw a man under fire calmly answering questions for 50-plus minutes. The average viewer heard Acosta repeatedly express sympathy for the victims and praise the Southern District for its new indictment. Trump may end up pushing Acosta out but that won't hurt Trump. For Trump supporters, nothing that happens in Trump World is Trump's fault.
244
@Robin
I observed similarly. There is no liar so convincing as an experienced liar - practice makes perfect.
34
@Robin. I fear the same, even if some of the victims were their own daughters. The king can do no wrong.
20
@Robin, And let's not forget that Alan Dershowitz was Epstein's lawyer for the Miami deal. He was implicated by the victim Virginia Roberts who said she had slept with him on 6 occasions This whole thing could be the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
21
Of course Labor Secretary Acosta is going to "defend his role." He has the ongoing important business of undermining and eliminating worker's rights and labor laws on behalf of the Republicans and the Trump administration. Until he is fired by Trump for any or no reason via Twitter.
195
@Dan88
Don’t forget the irony of cutting the budget in his office for combatting human trafficking by 80%...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/09/labor-secretary-alexander-acosta-sex-trafficking-budget-cut
28
@Dan88-AG William Barr, Alexander Acosta, and Epstein Lawyers Jeff Lefkowitz and Kenneth Star at one time all worked for Kirkland & Ellis. Hmmm.
20
@Kristi great research!
Acosta’s story just rings false. If you read the original expose’ in the Miami Herald, it wasn’t just the terms of the deal Acosta cut with Epstein’s lawyers, it was the way he did it. Acosta met privately with them, off-site, and communicated both the means and the desire to keep the sweetheart deal terms out of the press. He also broke federal law by not only keeping the deal terms from the victims, but his office repeatedly told them, well after the deal was complete, that they were still hashing them out. It’s one thing to cut a deal that wasn’t as harsh as should be expected; it’s entirely different to intentionally hide the plea deal from the victims and the press.
I wonder if this is at least part of the reason why the current prosecution is being handled by the Public Corruption unit instead of the Human Trafficking unit. Acosta shroud lose more than his cushy job as Secretary of Labor. He should be disbarred.
557
@Kristi One would have thought reporters at briefing would have asked these questions and pressed him for answers.
33
@Kristi-I have posted harsh criticism about Sec. Acosta on these pages. The Epstein case he oversaw deserves renewed scrutiny and the victims then and since a chance for justice and restitution. The optics--meeting with Epstein's attorneys (from his former law firm Kirkland and Ellis) "outside" the Attorney's office and agreeing to a "federal non-prosecution agreement"--are confusing and inconsistent against his storied career accomplishments. Hopefully the whole truth will come out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander-Acosta
16
@Kristi Exactly.
9
If Mr. Acosta is truthful, and it is likely he is, as proving otherwise would be too easy, than he may have gone beyond what a US Attorney would normally do.
21
@Charlie. Huh?
27
@Charlie
I say we check his bank account for any large deposits during that period!
12
@Sharon . Letting Epstein out of jail every day but 1 to spend time in his own "office" off the jail premises. More people need to be aware of this!
Acosta's remarks today are about justification, not justice. Unfortunately, this has become the standard by which administration loyalists determine their course of action. They seem to have no interest in delivering justice to our citizenry, only whether they can justify acts that to the naked eye are callous, cruel and self-serving.
156
The complaint against Epstein had more than 100 victims. Yet here's what Acosta said:
“The message is you need to come forward. I heard this morning that another victim came forward and made horrendous, horrendous allegations, allegations that should never happen to any woman, much less a young girl. And as victims come forward, these cases can be brought and they can be brought by the federal government, they can be brought by state attorneys, and they will be brought.”
I guess 100 girls weren't enough. How many more should have "come forward" for him to go to trial, instead of cutting a sweetheart deal? And why did he make the plea deal without notifying those who DID come forward?
And people wonder why abuse victims are reluctant to contact law enforcement!
26
Shouldn't this outrage be directed at the state prosecutors that were going to let this guy walk? Why did Acosta as a federal prosecutor have to plea deal a state charge? Or are we just outraged because Acosta works for Trump and the Palm Beach prosecutor gets a pass because he is a Democrat.
4
What an absolute joke of an explanation by this shameless man. Acosta afforded Epstein & his lawyers special considerations that other career prosecutors are at an utter loss to explain—everything from private meetings offsite to hiding the absurdly lenient deal from Epstein’s many victims. He talks about Epstein “going to prison” when in fact Epstein could spend 12 hours per day at his office before returning to Club Fed. It’s an outrage and everyone should be demanding transparency, accountability, and justice regardless of their political preferences.
8
Mr. Costa's assertion that he had reluctant wittnesses and so he offered a plea bargain, is not believable. There were more than a dozen young girls.
The result of letting him off easy was found in his safe. Dozens more victims.
American morality is being challenged by rich predators with high powered lawyers.
4
It may well be that the only thing worse than his outright acquittal at trial is the sweetheart plea deal Epstein got in Florida. At least a trial would have taken a best shot at a known degenerate—one who has apparently continued his revolting behavior. And it is not credible to suggest that the sweetheart deal was the best deal Acosta could get. There is undoubtedly more behind that plea deal, but even if there isn’t what ever happened to the principle of doing the right thing even in the face of tough odds?
This was (and is) a sex trafficking case involving young girls. Hard to conjure up more disgusting conduct. In good conscience, how did (does) Acosta look in the mirror? Is this what criminal prosecutions have come down to these days? Prosecutors paling around with expensive defense lawyers? Some prosecutors will say I’m naïve and know nothing about the process. I say: Go look in the mirror, and do it every single morning; you owe it to the victims and the system.
5
Can Acosta be charged in the Epstein case? It appears he broke the law when he did not notify the victims of the deal. Is he covered by statutes of limitations? It was a child rape case so I would think not and he could (should) go to jail.
3
Acosta's remains unconvincing. The "roll of the dice" defense doesn't stand the smell test. There were several victims on which could have been relied upon to testify truthfully and fully as to what Epstein did to them. Not advising the victims was a violation of the law, notwithstanding Acosta's contention that Epstein might not follow through. Epstein getting special treatment while in jail, (extended work day work release , protective custody) is also questionable. But, at the end of the day, Acosta can say whatever he wants. The big fish, Epstein is looking at major prison time.....so, the jig is up.
2
As brought out by insightful MSNBC commentary following Acosta's press conference, his Miami U.S. Attorney's office had to know, through legal documents filed by law enforcement officials for the State of Florida, that child pornography was also found in Epstein's possession. Acosta's prosecutors could have easily charged him with that serious federal crime, carrying a mandatory/minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, and used it as very effective leverage to compel Epstein to plead guilty to child sex trafficking in federal court with substantial jail time attached. In sum, there was absolutely no need for Acosta and his office to have pursued a cushy non-prosecution agreement and hand Epstein's case over to state prosecutors for adjudication. Acosta and his too glib accounting as the U.S. Attorney in the matter is smelling more like a week old, dead mackerel left out in the sun!
6
This is merely the way republicans look upon women, so no surprise here. You church people trump advocates, if your daughter or granddaughter were violated in such a manner, what would you do? What would you want? Bet it wouldn’t be to blame them for enticing Epstein.
5
Acosta's TV appearance today was almost convincing - certainly more than that of Squi's buddy Kavanaugh. The totality of facts, however, contradict his proclaimed innocence.
Acosta had many choices during his Epstein proceedings. Similar cases having comparable, but less serious, profiles were prosecuted much more aggressively - and then there were the ETHICAL CHOICES that Acosta avoided, conveniently hiding behind DOJ "policy". If he was so convinced that Epstein was as horrendous a child sex abuser as h claims, why oh why did he let this case default to Florida - a State notorious for a corrupt political machine and AG?
We have seen Florida's lack of integrity many times - from hanging chads to corrupt appointed justice officials. Epstein was extremely politically connected there and obviously pulled all of his strings to get a "hand slap" of a sentence for a massive criminal career.
In summary, Acosta does what Trump does - shifted "blame" to others and side-stepped any responsibility for incompetent legal action.
He does not deserve his present position and I, among millions, do not trust him any more than I trust his lying boss. Sometimes taking the high road is a more difficult choice, but it reveals much about one's character - and Acosta has little.
6
Here are the questions not asked Acosta at his news conference: if you intervened in the case because the State of Florida was about to allow Epstein extreme leniency, why did you not bind the State of Florida to the ultimate plea arrangement? Did you investigate the minimum sentences and legally permitted parole available based upon the charges Epstein would plead to? Why did you not continue the investigation and build the case that SDNY has apparently done? You blame they state for the kid glove treatment, but didn’t you hand Epstein to the State for final disposition?
2
Epstein could have been aggressively prosecuted by Acosta on possession of child pornography, a serious federal offense carrying a 15 year mandatory/minimum sentence, and also used this charge for leverage on the separate child sex trafficking charge. How did Acosta’s office know of this possession by Epstein of the offending material? By Florida state law enforcement officials! Scandalous!
4
Yes. These cases are hard. That is why he was forced to abstain from notifying the victims and their attorneys about what was going on while the deal was going down..
I think I have just learned the difference between a “news” conference and a “press” conference (Trump’s least favorite, and his main reason for dealing with matters via Twitter): you don’t have to answer questions if you don’t want to. Let’s see the WH or Barr now decree that Acosta must not go before the House Oversight Committee.
2
It was such a great deal he decided to break the law and not tell the victims about it. Sure.
4
No wonder why Trump supports Acosta and feels "badly" for him. They are cut from the same cloth. Both sociopaths who are blind to their faults and never apologize for any bad behavior regardless how egregious it is. The moment Trump decides Acosta is having a negative impact on his popularity, Acosta will be dumped. Only a question of time. The last thing Trump needs is to have this story fester because of the sordid comparisons it demonstrates between Epstein and him. So far the only thing that has saved Acosta is Trump's perverse opposition to anything the Democrats call for.
3
Alexander Acosta is a piece of filth, just like Epstein. Don't sugar coat it. NYT editorial writer Michelle Goldberg hit the nail right on the head when she used the term "Plutocratic Rot".
If you don't think we all live in a Plutocracy, think again.
The Supreme Court ruled on Citizens United permitting unlimited moneys to be poured into the coffers of elected representative for influences and favorable legislation. The corruption is deep and pervasive.
A plutocracy or plutarchy is a society that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth or income. The first known use of the term in English dates from 1631. Unlike systems such as democracy, capitalism, socialism or anarchism, plutocracy is not rooted in an established political philosophy (other than greed).
9
Alex Acosta had to give the billionaire pervert a negligible sentence, you know, to help the victims. With this Orwellian defense, he shows why he remains in the Trump Cabinet. He hasn't criticized his boss, that is all that matters in this clumsy and inept administration.
5
Missing from this article is any mention of what "jail" meant for Epstein. He didn't spend time in any place a normal person would call a jail. He was in a private section of the Palm Beach County prison, had his own security detail, and was released for 12 hours a day, six days a week, to "work." The NYT needs to stop going so easy on the Trump Cabinet.
4
Did jail time with daily freedom prohibit Mr. Epstein from abusing girls during his freebee hours in his office? Did the easy jail time and being listed as a sex offender deter Mr. Epstein from continuing his exploits once he walked out of the jailhouse door? And it seems that Attorney General Vance, as protector of New York City, was, like Mr. Acosta and company, willing to go easy on the High Life Lothario.
Who was first to say it: "Money Talks."
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
2
Guys like Epstein, Trump, and their ilk, use money to corrupt peoples dignity like the devil uses sin to steal their souls.
Lets hope their comeuppance is just and commensurate with the evil they sow.
4
Wonder who the co conspirators are-
Individual 1?
1
In her affidavit, one of the Jane Does describes how she was groomed to be a "sex slave" by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She also says she had sex with Alan Dershowitz at least six times. As Epstein's lawyer Alan Dershowitz negotiated immunity for himself.
3
Who was the judge who signed off on this?
1
Alex Acosta allowed a major pedophile to go free when the same evidence that the Southern District of New York has was available then. This not a an issue of changing standards. "Industrial pedophilia" has always been a major crime then as it is now, Acosta was derelict in his duty to protect innocent young women from a major predator and doesn't deserve a high-level, or for that matter any, government job. He must resign!
2
Recall the Nuremberg Trials after WWII. Winston Churchill wanted to just shoot them and be done with it. Now we have Acosta and Trump and their enablers all shifting the blame onto others. It's past time to stop talking and explaining and just remove these folks from public office. No homicide; just removal from positions of power over other peoples' lives.
1
He threw the State AGs office under the bus and the Palm Beach DAs office under the bus. I am looking forward to their press conference refuting Acosta's picture of himself as the knight in shining armor galloping in to save the victims from the pedophile Epstein.
2
Unless the reporter or editor of the NY Times has personally seen the evidence then the sentence "... the discovery of hundreds of nude images of young women or girls at Mr. Epstein’s New York residence..", should read," ... the NY attorney of Manhattan's reporting the discovery of hundreds of nude images of young women or girls at Mr. Epstein’s New York residence.."
Both sentences may be true, but only the second one is good journalism as of this date.
4
Responsible journalists can use multiple, reliable sources to gain sufficient confidence to report a story. As a practical matter, no one in the press will ever see those photos. Your suggestion is unrealistic and unreasonable.
5
@Mark Shyres No, sources can be confirmed without personally seeing the pictures. Your invented threshold of "credibility" says more about you then the reporter.
2
Under Trump, Alex Acosta plans to cut funds for investigation of child sex trafficking. Flys in the face of his protestations that Epstein should get harsher treatment. 'nuf said.
26
@pkidd
Are we surprised that the Predator-in-Chief thinks it's 'fine' to cut funds for investigation of child sex trafficking? The entire administration is so deeply appalling, the stench is horrifying.
2
Completely in it for himself, just like the rest of this swampiest of all swamps Cabinet.
22
@Chris M
Retire the "swamp" image. It's a tired metaphor which depends solely on one actually believing Trump's "cleaning" claim.
What a mealy-mouthed weasel. (apologies to weasels everywhere).
I wanted to give Mr Acosta the benefit of the doubt but in reality he is just plain worthless. You watch him bob and weave, tap dancing his way through the news conference.
All delivered with the earnestness of a William Barr and a seriousness befitting VP Pence.
This is what we have in the Labor Department.
This is our labor secretary.
This is a poor excuse for a human being.
30
That man is lying through his teeth.
21
“I wanted to help him” Mr. Acosta said “That is why we turned them into prostitutes instead of victims"
17
@Ace Does statutory rape cease legally to be rape away if
underage victim accepts money? If an older man gives a 13 year old an NDA or $1000, does she cease to
be 13?
1
Acosta didn't waver much while defending the indefensible-- rather carried it out like a pro. I could be wrong, but it sure seems that lying with a straight face is the one and only professional skill needed to land a powerful position in the Trumpolini crime family enterprise. You go, Secretary! Don't let a few hundred raped kids get in the president's way!
29
This appalling human being enabled both Epstein and Trump and Dershowitz and others a free for all of rape, sodomy and the human trafficking of under age children.
If this does not hit the gut of every so called moral evangelical and Republican to vote this man out of office, then we have no country, period.
21
Epstein, Acosta terrific guys! -Donald Trump
11
Consider what led up to Acosta getting the case:
"In an editorial, The Palm Beach Post attacked Mr. Krischer, a Democrat whose post is elective, saying the public had been left “to wonder whether the system tilted in favor of a wealthy, well-connected alleged perpetrator and against very young girls who are alleged victims of sex crimes.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/us/03epstein.html
And consider yesterday's piece by Vicky Ward:
"He’d cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys because he had “been told” to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-sick-story-played-out-for-years-in-plain-sight?ref=scroll
How about some NYTimes reporters do some investigation of their own and see if they can confirm what Ward reported?
If Epstein is an "intelligence asset"....that would appear to be a massive story with severe consequences.
12
@John
Spot on
The biggest story may come out of that daily beast quote about Epstein being intelligence, along with the rumors of blackmailing public figures and the mystery of how the man got his money.
Can't believe no one is talking about this
2
@John
Great comments, thanks for the Daily Beast link. NY Times, are you the paper of record or not? I'm obviously a subscriber and a fan, but you're being scooped daily. It's embarrassing and disturbing. Why? Does this paper have unknown connections to Epstein? Curious that lesser-regarded news publications are consistently doing a better, more timely, and more thorough job on this case.
2
Martha Stewart got rougher treatment for insider trading than Acosta gave Epstein for trafficking women/minors. Martha actually went to a jail for six months and had to wear a jumpsuit. She didn't get 12 hours a day, six days a week to roam the streets of New York/Miami. No, but then she is just a rich old white woman, not a rich old white man.
44
This appalling human being enabled both Epstein and Trump and Dershowitz and others a free for all of rape, sodomy and the human trafficking of under age children.
If this does not hit the gut of every so called moral evangelical and Republican to vote this man out of office, then we have no country, period.
7
It's obvious that Acosta was told to go easy on Epstein.
Let's get to the bottom of this travesty.
19
@Panthiest Maybe Acosta will stpe down and Trump can nominate Roy Moore.
The main beneficiary of the plea deal was Hillary Clinton. At the time the deal was struck, she was the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. Terminating the investigation mean that Bill's pedophilia wouldn't be splashed across the newspapers during her campaign.
I believe that Acosta made the deal in consideration of the country's best interest in not having Hillary dragged through the mud along with Bill.
4
Does Alex Jones still have a website?
3
It was only a matter of time until this turned into Hillary’s fault.
4
@Amy
And yet Acosta is currently serving on Trump’s Cabinet...
4
Before the press conference, Acosta was at the very least suspect in his moral and legal judgements. Now it is open to the world in his own words that he is another Djt syncophant who has sold out to the GOP slime.
7
Boy it sure is weird that ALL co-conspirators in the cases in Fla were given immunity, then the cases sealed, and then Acosta ended up in the WH.
Trump was named in a case with Epstein in Cali for raping a 13 year old so it's not unreasonable to assume he was named in the Fla cases too.
17
Acosta as a federal prosecutor caved to pressure from Epstein’s enabler’s. He tried to eviscerate the DOL budget for enforcing sex trafficking laws as Secretary of that department.
The man is a coward, a sycophant and toady to his handlers, a species of human that allows the Epsteins of the world to predate with little or no consequence.
He needs to go posthaste.
13
I see he is just as good a liar as his reprehensible boss
5
Donald Trump supporting and affirming a guy who went easy on a child molester and made sure the victims would not be able to get justice? Duh!
6
Trump won'tike the bad press. Acosta won't last the week.
5
Acosta lied on tv today and the reporters didn't call him on it. He illegally kept legal information from the victims and their families.
Martha Stewart served her time in jail ... she wasn’t allowed to leave her cell for 12 hours a day ! She was imprisoned for lying about insider trading but a sex pedophile and child trafficker was given the most lenient sentence plus letting go free for 12 hours a day !
Trump pushed Acosta to give his lying performance. Acosta needs to be in jail himself after allowing a sex pedophile to continue to abuse underage girls. Remember Epstein continues to fly to an island where locals calls Epstein’s resort the pedophile island ... how many underage girls did the monster Epstein continue to rape ?
As someone said the Miami Herald did God’s work ... Amen !
10
I have never heard anyone floating at the top of the Traitor Trump Administration septic tank ever admit to any wrongdoing.
“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”
-Samuel Johnson
4
If Acosta was trying to help these girls and “put the world on notice,” why did he hide the arrangement from the victims until it was already a done deal? Why did his team work with Epstein’s lawyers to minimize news coverage of the deal?
This is the swamp at its worst. Trump, and all of you who continue to support him—how can you be on the side of a pedophile enabler?
7
Jeffrey was sent to Sunday School jail one day a week.
Too bad Jeffrey did not stay too long, he might have learned a little about rape from his fellow inmates.
2
Hmmmm yeah I get it that these children might have been « scared » to testify, against Dershowitz, who may have raped them as well... Sounds like there is no justice for scared children.
11
Congress needs to call Epstein’s accusers to testify before the House and put it all on live TV. Daylight will be the best cleanser for this mess. And let the chips fall wherever they may. Time’s up.
8
Epstein spent thirteen month worth of evenings in a special, cozy jail for his rape of girls, getting out for 12 hours a day to "work". Not women, girls. Am I to believe that a highly skilled prosecutor could not make this case to a judge and or a jury?
It stinks. Acosta stinks, Trump stinks, Bill Clinton stinks and Epstein stnks worse than all of them. They're buddies. Friends. The guys.
Acosta should resign and be forced to pay a fine to the victims he chose to ignore by not advising them of the piece of shame he put forth and sold as a plea deal.
11
@SpoiledChildOfVictory
I want to see proof he was in jail at all.
1
@SpoiledChildOfVictory
Wikipedia states:
"The Herald reported that Acosta took the unusual step of meeting with an attorney for Epstein outside the U.S. Attorney's office and that it was he who finalized the agreement.
According to the Herald article: 'In email after email, Acosta and the lead federal prosecutor, A. Marie Villafaña, acquiesced to Epstein’s legal team’s demands, which often focused on ways to limit the scandal by shutting out his victims and the media, including suggesting that the charges be filed in Miami, instead of Palm Beach, where Epstein’s victims lived.'
So Acosta went to extraordinary and even unlawful efforts to minimize the outcome of the charges against Epstein.
If Acosta had just spent one third of the energy that he spent trying to appease Epstein on working for his victims instead, Epstein would never have been freed to prey on thousands more young girls all over the world for over the past 11 years.
2
Acosta - Trump - Kushner - Flynn - Manafort - Cohen - Gates- et al... may a special ring of purgatory be reserved for them
3
@EDWARDO
And may they return, in their next life, to experience the suffering that they so callously perpetrated on innocent victims, especially children, who were forced to endure their cruel policies.
@JM
I'd rather see them get what they deserve in this lifetime.
It is odd that some many commentators are criticizing President Trump. After his release from prison in 2008, Epstein registered in New York as a high-risk sex offender, but he allegedly sexually assaulted at least 40 under-aged girls at his Manhattan townhouse during eight years of the Obama administration and the first three years of the Trump administration. At least the Trump administration has charged him with sex trafficking.
2
@William Case
Seriously, you are joking?
Trump invites (flies in) 28 young girls to party with only himself, a self proclaimed predator, and Epstein, a widely known sex trafficker
(Lolita Express to Orgy Island).
And you try to blame Obama?
1
I want to know how high this conspiracy goes. Who else raped and molested the girls? If Bill Clinton, I want to know. If Prince Andrew, I want to know. If Donald Trump, I want to know. Anyone else? I want to know
Bring down the entire corrupt house of cards.
18
*Children*. He was sexually abusing children. Get your words right, editors.
10
The nausea was rising as Acosta spoke of his admiration for djt. Every day a new low. Is there one righteous person?
5
It was different then, we just thought of them as hookers, not child victims of trafficking.
That's what he went with? What a disgrace.
7
Mr. Acosta is a liar!
Not only should he be forced to resign, or be impeached, he should also be disbarred!
7
Acosta: “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.”
*******
How can you put the world on notice when the deal is secret, and not even the victims were told about it.
16
Investigate this poor excuse of a Labor Secretary. Acosta should be shamed out of a job.
Meanwhile, Stephen Miller and Donald John Trump should be held accountable for the sexual abuse of children at the concentration camps on our nation's southern border.
Hold. Them. Accountable!
6
“I wanted to help them,” Mr. Acosta said of the victims during a nationally televised news conference at the Labor Department headquarters...."
Really? Hunh. Then how come you BROKE THE LAW in keeping this slap-in-the-face "deal" from the victims.
I have never seen so many rank, vile disgusting lying grifters as the ones populating this freak show of the Russian-elected "administration"....
God save America.
8
president pence is hiding out here on the west coast until this sex scandal blows over. pope pence's reputation must not be tarnished by this nascent epstein/acosta/trump child rape scandal. pope pence's reputation must be pure to take over as POTUS.
4
Acosta should do the honorable thing and resign! He is obviously lying through his teeth. Look at the dignity the British Ambassador displayed. An honest man who though born poor on a council estate, through integrity and hard work rose through the ranks. Compare that with Trump and his entitled and privileged band of thieving cronies. Platinum spoon raised without a shred of honesty. Although the ambassador’s comments were justified, he realized his position was untenable after Trump’s childish diatribe and in particular Boris Johnson’s cowardly sucking up to Trump.
8
So Alan Dershowitz believes that a defense lawyer will get the best possible deal for his client possible. He wasn't kidding on that statement. The pedophile he was defending got a 18 month sentence where he was allowed to leave each day, picked up by a limo, work in his office 10 to 12 hrs a day hauling in the money, what to pay the likes of Dershowitz's fees? Both walk away, happy as flies on dung.
6
“The point I’m trying to make is everything that the victims have gone through in these cases is horrific, and their response is entirely justified,” Mr. Acosta said. “At the same time, I think it’s important to stand up for the prosecutors of my former office and make clear that what they were trying to do was help these victims.”
"Mr. Acosta has privately reached out to allies for help handling the public relations debacle and inquired about potential post-government work should he be forced out. . . "
If only Alexander Acosta had fought half as hard for those young girls then as he is doing now to keep his position as Labor Secretary.
His actions 11 years ago speak an entirely different story than what his words are saying today. Not sure who he's trying to convince more - himself, Trump, or those many innocent girls he betrayed.
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Not surprised to learn that the girls were afraid to testify. However, Mr. Acosta's and his staff had a duty to make certain the girls and their families felt comfortable moving forward, and at a minimum kept them apprised of any possible "deal" with Epstein. The fact that the agreement between the DA's Office and Epstein was made in secrecy brings into question the motivation behind the deal. At a min. Acosta needs to explain why he shielded the girls and their families from knowing about the settlement agreement. Lastly, if that was the best deal Acosta and his staff could get, in my opinion none of them should be practicing law.
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Money makes the world go around.
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This really inspires confidence in this Labor Secretary protecting workers rights.
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@Heidi I feel pretty confident that he wasn't hired to protect workers' rights.
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It is totally incredulous that Mr. Acosta is attempting to say that he wanted Epstein locked up and put away when one balances the fact that Mr. Epstein had 12 hours, six days a week, out of jail at "his office". Mr. Epstein is a billionaire - why was it necessary to eliminate almost half of his sentence for "office time" - not exactly locked up and put away. He could already well afford to pay his legal expenses!
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@Will S
One reports says that Epstein's "office" was in his home and that he "entertained ladies" there.
Also he was caught walking no where near his "office" and came up with some lame story.
With such lazy oversight, one wonders if he really ever even reported back to his luxury private cell each evening.
@Will S Fact checking your post, and you are incorrect. Neither U.S. attorney Mr. Acosta nor his office had anything to do with Mr. Epstein being given a "flexible" jail schedule. That poor decision was made by others. Please read the facts.
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@Will S There's yet proof to be shown that Epstein actually spent any amount of time in jail.
Acosta's "defense" doesn't take into account that he did not show the plea agreement to the families, cutting them out of the process. Supposedly, this is against the law. He gave this guy a sweet heart deal that none of us would have gotten. Again proof that the entitled and connected wealthy have a different standard of justice then everyone else.
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@Barry Fisher I think he is claiming that he changed the law. Not sure he can do that.
@Barry Fisher
Did no one ask why Acosta why he broke federal law and not notify the victims about the plea deal?
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Acosta: “ Facts are important and facts are being overlooked.”
Since when has fact mattered in the Trump Administration? You sleep with the Devil Mr Acosta, come clean because the facts will come out. And your boss is in it deep.
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Has it occurred to anyone that the reason Acosta was pressing to close down the investigation was because it was 2008. Easy to see at that time that the was a fair likelihood that there was a Democratic Administration coming in.
If there were any prominent Republicans needing protection, it would be urgent to close the case.
Just a thought...
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I listened to the press conference and was appalled that the best defense was that the culture has changed. I call this the Joe Biden defense.
To them both I say, no the culture hasn’t changed ... the crimes are no different now than then. What is different is that men in power — and in Acosta’s case there may be many more of them — are finally being held accountable.
Thank goodness for the reporting of women like Julie Brown in Miami and Annie Karin at the Times and others for their amazing reporting. Please keep digging! We’re counting on you.
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@avrds
Annie KARNI ...
1
The Labor Secretary more or less confirms that there is no "justice for all," just leniency for those protected by money and class. While Mr. Epstein was "working" 12 hours a day while released from the county jail, how many less connected men were incarcerated without leave for offenses that did much less damage to society? If Sec. Acosta would address the issue of the difference money and connections make when a prosecutor makes a decision, we would be better served. How can he help laborers against the well-connected owners?
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@kate
I find it very hard to believe that Acosta returned each evening to sleep at jail.
With the obvious power he held over law enforcement in Florida, He probably paid someone to just sign him in and out and stayed home.
The unasked and unanswered question is how did an obscure Florida Attorney General get into the inner circle to be considered for a Cabinet position? Who pulled the strings, and made it happen....follow that trail, and it may lead to some more interesting facts to the Epstein case...
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One more thought after my previous comment. Failures to loop in victims have been criticized as part of this agreement.
Epstein's plea deal included paying anything victims wanted with no limits. That is the first thing to note that reporters have missed. Naturally, prosecutors had to hide this provision from victims' lawyers because otherwise they'd ask for, say, $1 billion each, and make it impossible for Epstein to agree to it or for justice to be carried out. So it was essential that the deal be kept confidential, so victims could ask to be paid and make fair or even high demands for compensation of their damages, but for there to be some safeguard that their attorneys would act in good faith. Keeping the terms confidential was a way to provide that.
Second, there has been some criticism of "protecting co-conspirators". In this case, co-conspirators were people like Nadia, a young Slovakian model who started as an underage victim then helped recruit other girls for Epstein as she grew older and worked as his assistant. Co-conspirators were not people like Bill Clinton. That provision was designed for Epstein to take the fall, and for nobody else to, namely the young women/girls who started as victims and ended up as participants.
Acosta made tough calls and meant well, obviously. The problem overall was that Acosta made a deal with the devil. He made a deal for good reasons, to say, hey, here's a billionaire, let's get these girl victims paid. But now it's come out.
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@Ver S
And leave the perp on the street to commit the same crimes over and over again. The punishment did not fit the crime. A real jail sentence never happened. Epstein remained above the law. Acosta should be disbarred. And prosecuted for not informing the victims of the deal he made with Epstein.
@Ver S Fishy.
However smooth and calm Acosta projects his personna, he as a judge has failed justice through and through...by allowing a pedophile on an industrial scale to roam almost free, setting an awful example of unfairness, and a tacit complicity with a sexual predator when the victims were left out of a sweetheart deal for Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta has no business being in government, a 'skunk playing dead', tone-deaf to the crimes committed by Epstein (and his minions, seemingly oblivious to their collaboration in facilitating the awful deed, violating young girls at his sick pleasure). I understand that Trump, a sexual predator himself, has pending criminal issues in need of settlement, and punishment, hopefully solvable soon after he leaves the presidency. Thus far, there are at least 19 women that accused Trump of sexual assault.
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I'll wager that Trump forces Acosta out by the end of the week. With Trump, "loyalty" has always been a one-way street.
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Acosta keep saying he wanted to see Epstein in jail and that is why he made the deal. Then why would you agree to let Esptein leave the said jail 6 days a week, 12 hours a day? What kind of logic is that? Acosta is as shameless and immoral as the rest of the Trump gang, and we need to keep asking for his resignation. He does work for us after all.
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To add to my earlier comment.
The very fact of the hearings is problematic. Chairman Cummings is apparently not familiar with the Supreme Court's jurisprudence on the possible adverse effects of pretrial publicity on a defendant's right to a fair trial. Chairman Cummings's aim is to score points against the Trump Administration. Any points scored may in fact end up in the hands of Epstein's very skilled attorneys in the New York case
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Asking for someone to resign is not the equivalent of saying they will be charged...learn the difference
At least three times in today's press conference, Secretary Acosta stated that things would be different today.
Specifically, he referred to the court not allowing witness / victim shaming. This implies that the legal team employed by Epstein used this tactic to undermine the testimony of the courageous women who were allegedly recruited as young girls by Epstein.
Whatever the tactics, they must have worked as Secretary Acosta was quite clear that prosecutors were afraid of losing.
It would have been helpful if Secretary Acosta had given a more detailed characterization of the practices of the legal team who defended Epstein.
I would like to see Epstein's lawyers take an hour questions from the press.
While Secretary Acosta states that things have changed, another member of Epstein's plea deal team, namely Jack Goldberger, is currently leading a very aggressive defense in a prostitution case against another billionaire, Robert Kraft, in Palm Beach.
Have things changed?
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@Patrick Moynihan
And who was Trump's guest at the WH dinner the other evening? Robert Kraft!
Sleazy birds of a feather...
1
Corruption throughout. But this is not surprising. What is surprising is that individual #1 still has the support of his cult. What is it going to take to make them wake up?
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@acm They all know about it and they all are implicated in it. This is what makes this blackmail operation work.
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@acm Nothing will ever wake them up. Now, it's all about forming a coalition which includes, progressives, moderates, and independents, including Republican moderates and Republican-leaning Independents.
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Acosta is despicable and has no honor. Thus he is a perfect choice for Trump’s cabinet of scoundrels.
Alas he won’t resign unless Trump as usual bends with the political winds like the spineless blow heart
he really is. Of course Trump is at any even lower
morality level than Acosta. He went to Epstein’s parties and given his videotaped admissions it doesn’t take much imagination to visualize how well he fit in there.
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@IN
If Acosta does not resign and Trump does not fire him, it means Acosta has something very damaging he's holding over Trump.
1
Acosta tried to cut a program by nearly 80 percent inside the Department of Labor dedicated to combating human trafficking, along with child and forced labor, internationally. And two months later, he would return to Congress to advocate for a second budget to cut the program according to an article in the Daily Beast.
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So will Alexander Acosta keep his job as Trump's Secretary of Labor or not? So, is his relationship with the president really outstanding? So, did Acosta apologize or express empathy for the teenage victims of the sexual predator whom he gave a sweet plea-deal to in Florida in 2008? Nope.
In his Labor Dept. press conference this afternoon, Mr. Acosta made it clear that he and his prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida 11 years ago felt that Mr. Epstein had to go to jail. Times haven't changed all that much from Jeffrey Epstein's vile sexual predations against girls in the early Twenty-Oughts till today.
Mr. Acosta's job is in deep jeopardy. He's garnered far too much bad publicity on the web, social media, and all the venues that Donald Trump treasures. So many of Trump's Cabinet secretaries and White House personnel have been dismissed, either by Tweet, pink slip or resigning before being fired. So, it won't come as a surprise if Acosta resigns soon because Trump feels "so badly" for him. We Americans all feel "so badly" about Trump.
3
Blah blah blah, cover-up, protect my buddies, cut secret deals, blah blah blah, I didn't call them prostitutes, somebody else called them prostitutes, blah blah blah, state grand jury, i couldn't do anything, i was helpless, it was all the state, i wanted him in jail, blah blah blah, i didn't give him that sweet 'get out of jail six days a week, that was somebody else, blah blah blah.
I am astonished. I am livid. I am beyond sad and depressed about this country and it's non-leadership, a country full of rich men protecting each other and cowards who won't ever stand up to bullies.
Sick of the lies, sick of the deceit, sick of these men and their sick souls. That includes Trump, Epstein and Clinton, all of them.
And now I read that Trump is hosting a strip golf tournament.
This country, this country. Crumbling.
Evangelicals? Anything? Anything? Hypocrites.
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@sophia
Couldn't have said it better.
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@sophia
And where is Mitch McConnell and his "Family Values" Republican congressional representatives?
AWOL
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@sophia
Oh, but Trump is akin to King Cyrus. The evangelicals believe that sending such a depraved soul to bring deserving souls to the promised land is part of "God's plan."
It doesn't get much sicker than that, and demonstrates what kind of fanatics the US of A is up against.
30
If it was the best deal why keep it a secret from the public and the victims!!!! This all unraveled because you violated federal law by not disclosing the plea deal to the victims.
May I also say your prosecution team lied to these victims for over a year conveying that they would get justice while you pursued a non prosecution deal with Pedophile Epstein and were working to secure immunity for his accomplices. He raped dozens of under age little girls. Mr Acosta u are a monster sir!
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@IntrepidMan
Acosta is toast.
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The WORST people.
Seriously.
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This is the guy who went out to cozy breakfast meetings with Epstein's lawyers rather than calling them on the carpet in government offices. Huh? That's the type of thing you do when you're trying to establish a rapport with a business client, while trying to close a deal. What was there to negotiate in this case? This guy is either corrupt or a moron. I do not think it is the latter.
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@Rob Kneller
I would venture a guess that Acosta was hopefully cozying up to big law firm lawyers, in part, because he was concerned about his post-US Attorney employment; it was 2008, after all, and the likelihood was that he was going to be unemployed soon after January 20, 2009. And, he was doing favors for big money. Because that's what Republicans do.
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@Rob Kneller SO TRUE. There is a lot more to surface, if Trump's Attorney General doesn't hide the case. Barr has a lot to explain if he does not recuse himself. Barr's father hired Epstein to teach children. Creepy to say the least.
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@S.D. This is bipartisan criminal conduct. It only works when both parties are corrupt. They only reason Acosta is Labour secretary now is because the did. Promoted for being a good team player. I want to hear from Ron Paul, Tulsi Gabbard and Marriane Williamson, Rick Warren and also on the other side Charlie Rose, Weinstein, Bill O'Reily.
"I am withholding judgment until I see all of the facts,... " typical response from the crazy right.
Remember when Al Franken resigned over a photo and the same crowd wanted more blood?
Spare me your righteousness oh you defenders of America's moral majority. /s
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What a sorry bunch of puffball questions for Mr Acosta. He went unchallenged and was allowed to repeatedly express his talking points and take no personal responsibility. A bad day for the Washington press.
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@Andrew, I agree, The press I think needs to stop being so accommodating and nice. Time to be more forceful. Acosta enjoyed himself - gaslighting, misdirection, smug and smirking.
Were any of these young girls, violated by Jeffery Epstein, Hispanic?
Wonder what Acosta would say about that.
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