Question
Who was Alex Acosta before he became Labor Secretary and how did he handle the Epstein case?
Answer
R. Alexander Acosta served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida (SDFL) from 2005 to 2009. In this role, he was the senior federal prosecutor responsible for the Southern District when the Epstein case was referred from Palm Beach.
Before the SDFL: Acosta had a distinguished legal career before his appointment. He served as a law clerk to Samuel Alito (then on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals), worked in private practice, and served in the U.S. Department of Justice under multiple administrations. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
The 2008 NPA: As U.S. Attorney for the SDFL, Acosta was responsible for the non-prosecution agreement under which Epstein pleaded to two Florida state charges and received an 18-month sentence with extensive work release. The decision to proceed with the NPA — and to keep it secret from victims — was made under Acosta’s supervision.
After SDFL: After his time as U.S. Attorney, Acosta became Dean of Florida International University College of Law before being appointed Secretary of Labor by President Trump in 2017.
Resignation (2019): When the Miami Herald’s reporting and Epstein’s 2019 re-arrest brought renewed scrutiny to the 2008 deal, Acosta gave a press conference defending his decisions. He resigned as Labor Secretary on July 12, 2019 — four days after Epstein’s arrest — amid sustained criticism.
Sources
- DOJ historical records on SDFL U.S. Attorney appointments
- Miami Herald, “Perversion of Justice” series, 2018
- Acosta press conference transcript, July 10, 2019