House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded the resignation of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta over a 2007 plea deal with billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Pelosi said Acosta “engaged in an unconscionable agreement” with Epstein in 2007 during his term as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. The House Speaker noted that the plea deal prevented Epstein’s victims from seeking justice.
.@SecretaryAcosta must step down. As US Attorney, he engaged in an unconscionable agreement w/ Jeffrey Epstein kept secret from courageous, young victims preventing them from seeking justice. This was known by @POTUS when he appointed him to the cabinet. #AcostaResign
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 9, 2019
Acosta approved a non-prosecution agreement, which in effect ended an ongoing FBI investigation into Epstein’s alleged sex crimes. The deal required Epstein to plead guilty to two prostitution charges, register as a sex offender, pay damages to victims and serve 13 months in “custody with work release.”
Schumer says Trump should fire Acosta
On the other hand, Sen. Schumer said Acosta gave a “sweetheart deal” to Epstein despite “overwhelming evidence’ against him.