“Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein was charged Monday with sexually abusing dozens of underage girls in a case brought more than a decade after he secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors to dispose of nearly identical allegations.” AP News

On Wednesday, Acosta defended his handling of the case in a press conference, “insisting he got the toughest deal he could at the time.” AP News
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Many on both sides condemn Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta’s handling of the 2005 case against Epstein:

“Acosta has suggested that the charges against Epstein would have been difficult to prove. But this assertion was never plausible, and will likely become less so once the prosecution’s file becomes public and the new prosecution of Epstein, by the Trump Department of Justice, proceeds. Another of Acosta’s defenses is that he was not personally responsible for the ‘terms of Epstein’s incarceration.’ He may not be responsible for how cushy Epstein had it during his time served, but it was Acosta who negotiated the ridiculously short duration of the sentence.”
Paul Mirengoff, Power Line Blog

“It’s true that the public has a better understanding of the trauma of sexual abuse now than in 2008, in part because of the many people who have told their stories publicly as part of the #MeToo movement. But as CNN’s Kara Scannell has reported, Acosta’s office appears to have prosecuted other, less high-profile offenders than Epstein far more aggressively at around the same time, and obtained significant sentences for them that included prison time… No one is disputing that Jeffrey Epstein had extremely powerful lawyers who put pressure on victims and prosecutors alike. They were no doubt formidable adversaries. But it was part of Acosta’s job as US attorney to stand firm against formidable adversaries. In his press conference on Wednesday, Acosta did not make a compelling case that he did that where Epstein was concerned.”
Anna North, Vox

“Acosta had firsthand witnesses. God only knows how many girls have been victimized by Epstein since he finished serving the wrist-slap sentence Acosta arranged for him. And that’s not all. Reporter Vicky Ward, who’s been chasing this story for nearly 20 years, notes today at the Daily Beast that “federal prosecutors agreed to keep the [plea] deal secret from Epstein’s victims, which meant they would not know to challenge it in court. As it turned out, this actually broke the law, because victims have a right to know of such developments, under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.’”
Allahpundit, Hot Air

“Pending further revelations, one thing is clear: Acosta should step down from his Cabinet position for dereliction of duty in his prior role — and because he has the spine of a mollusk. In deciding not to fully prosecute Epstein in 2007 — and then agreeing to bury the proceedings without advising the victims — he violated the law, betrayed the victims’ trust and displayed rare cowardice before justice.”
Kathleen Parker, Washington Post
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Other opinions below.