U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta speaking at the 2018 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), photo by Gage Skidmore.
On Wednesday, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta held a press conference to address controversy about a "sweetheart" deal that allowed Jeffrey Epstein to spend just 13 months in jail. During that time, Epstein was allowed to leave and work out of an office.
"Facts are important, and facts are being overlooked,” Acosta said.
As a U.S. attorney in Miami, Acosta helped negotiation the plea deal. He said during his press conference that the Palm Beach State Attorney's office was ready to "let Epstein walk free" and claimed the plea deal was necessary to put him behind bars.
"The goal here was straightforward, put Epstein behind bars, ensure he registered as a sex offender, provide victims with the means to seek restitution, and protect the public by putting them on notice that a predator was in their midst," Acosta said.
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