Alexander Acosta Confirmed as U.S. Labor Secretary
Alexander Acosta, who as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida had approved the controversial 2008 Epstein non-prosecution agreement, was confirmed as Secretary of Labor by the U.S. Senate — returning him to national prominence and, eventually, scrutiny.
People Involved
On April 27, 2017, the U.S. Senate confirmed Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor in the Trump administration. Acosta had previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2005 to 2009 — the period during which the non-prosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epstein had been negotiated and approved.
At the time of his confirmation, questions were raised about his role in the NPA. Senate Democrats pressed for answers about the deal’s terms during his confirmation hearings. Acosta defended his decisions, characterizing the 2008 agreement as the best outcome available given the evidence and legal constraints at the time.
Acosta was confirmed and served as Labor Secretary until July 2019 — when he resigned nine days after Epstein’s federal arrest, following renewed public and congressional scrutiny of his role in the NPA.