Topline
A central figure in the Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse saga—former prosecutor Alex Acosta, who granted in 2007 the former financier what’s been widely blasted as a “sweetheart deal” for his alleged crimes—has no regrets about the agreement, a Democratic lawmaker told CNN on Friday, as the former Trump official faces questioning from the House Oversight Committee.
Acosta, who served as the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida and later became President Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary, testified to the House Oversight Committee behind closed doors on Friday, as lawmakers asked about the former prosecutor’s decision to reach a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in 2007.
The agreement has been widely criticized, including by Trump officials such as FBI Director Kash Patel, as it allowed Epstein to escape federal charges and only serve a brief prison stint for state charges of solicitation of prosecution—and even then was allowed to spend much of his time outside of prison and at his office under “work release.”
While the exact details of Acosta’s interview are not yet known, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., told CNN that he is “not showing any remorse” and “does not seem to think that he did, in fact, strike a sweetheart deal,” with Acosta reportedly telling lawmakers he believed “justice had been served” through the 2007 agreement.
This story is breaking and will be updated.