The Confirmation
Alexander Acosta was confirmed as Secretary of Labor in April 2017. The Epstein plea deal was mentioned during confirmation hearings but did not derail the process. Democratic senators were not yet aware of the full scale of victim rights violations associated with the deal.
The Labor Secretary Role
As Labor Secretary, Acosta oversaw the Department of Labor including its human trafficking programs. Critics noted the irony of a Cabinet secretary who had negotiated a lenient sex trafficking deal now overseeing federal anti-trafficking efforts.
The Herald Effect
When Julie K. Brown’s Miami Herald investigation published in November 2018, it brought the specific details of the NPA particularly the secret victim notification failure into public view. Pressure on Acosta to explain himself grew.
The July 2019 Press Conference
When Epstein was arrested in July 2019, Acosta held a press conference defending the 2008 deal. He argued the deal was the best available option at the time given prosecutorial uncertainties. Critics were unsatisfied.
The Resignation
Days after the press conference, on July 19, 2019, Acosta announced his resignation from the Cabinet. Trump accepted his resignation while praising him. Acosta stated he did not want the Epstein situation to be a distraction.