The House Oversight Committee unveiled new documents on Friday related to the criminal activities of the late Jeffrey Epstein. Among these files is a transcript of a previous interview with Alex Acosta, who served as Labor Secretary under President Trump during his first term.
Acosta, who was once the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, stepped down in 2019 amid backlash over his involvement in Epstein’s 2008 plea agreement. This deal resulted in Epstein serving 13 months in jail for two state-level prostitution charges, despite allegations from more than a dozen victims that he operated a global sex trafficking network involving minors as young as 14.
In a September appearance before the House Oversight Committee, Acosta defended his choice not to pursue further prosecution against Epstein.
During his testimony, Acosta stated, “A billionaire going to jail sends a strong signal to the community that this behavior is unacceptable,” as detailed in the 172-page transcript made public on Friday.
He further remarked that Epstein’s status as a registered sex offender served as a global warning, regardless of whether it was heeded, emphasizing that it highlighted his criminality.
Nevertheless, House Democrats criticized Acosta’s remarks following the release of these documents on Friday.
“He continues to deny he gave Jeffrey Epstein a sweetheart deal, despite cutting the investigation short and granting Epstein a non-prosecution agreement, even though 30 victims had been identified at the time,” Sara Guerrero, spokesperson for Oversight Democrats said in a Friday release.
“Because of the deal Alex Acosta gave Epstein, he was able to continue assaulting and raping young women and girls for another decade. No matter how House Republicans try to spin this, Oversight Democrats will keep pushing for the truth,” she added.
The committee on Friday also published letters from former Attorneys General Eric Holder and Merrick Garland, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, stating they had no knowledge related to the House investigation.
A plethora of files and documents associated with Epstein’s dealings have been released related to the oversight committee’s investigation. Notable figures, including Elon Musk and Prince Andrew have been named.
President Trump has also been named in the files, however, he’s stated that he severed ties with Epstein after he acted like a “creep” at his Mar-A-Lago resort.
Still, on Capitol HIll, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have banded together with the hopes of triggering the full release of the Justice Department’s files related to Epstein.
The two are awaiting a final signature on a discharge petition that would force the federal government to release new documents. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) has said she will add her name to the petition after being sworn in, which would send it to the floor.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has delayed her swearing in amid the government shutdown but promised to promptly provide a ceremony for Grijalva once the lower chamber is brought back in session.
When asked if he’s prolonging to stall her signature on the Epstein discharge petition, Johnson told reporters, “It has nothing to do with that at all.”
“We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” the House Speaker said in early October.
