DOL's Acosta Under Fire Over Epstein Sex-Abuse Plea Deal

Wasserman Schultz is reportedly concerned about emails that reveal Acosta, then Miami's top federal prosecutor, and A. Marie Villafana, another federal prosecutor, agreed to certain demands raised by Epstein's attorneys, such as limited publicity.

Some 36 underage victims were cited in legal documents tied to the case, yet none of these girls and young women attended the June 30, 2008, sentencing of Epstein in Palm Beach County, according the Miami Herald story.

Also this week, the McClatchy news service said the focus on Acosta and his role in the sex-abuse scandal has led to his elimination this week as a possible nomination for attorney general by President Donald Trump.

A DOL spokesperson told the Examiner: "This matter has been publicly addressed previously, including during (Acosta's Senate) confirmation hearings. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has defended the actions in this case across three administrations."

"At the end of the day, based on the evidence, professionals within a prosecutor's office decided that a plea that guarantees someone goes to jail, that guarantees [Epstein] register generally [as a sexual predator] and guarantees other outcomes, is a good thing," Acosta said during his Senate confirmation hearings as labor secretary in 2017.