Document Text Content
4 The Virgin Islands Daily News
VIRGIN ISLANDS Saturday, February 23, 2019
White House 'looking into' Acosta's role in illegal sex offender plea deal
!vRir c,I BENNETT — "My understand, is that it, __________________________________ _____________________________________________________ efforts.. to protect a victim, the fil-
___________________________________ a ve, comPliemed ease. some- A federal judge said U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander if...id. II allows victims the 1..-
I hing we're certainly looking into," sonable right" to confer with the
WASHINGTON — White Sanders said. Acosta — then the U.S. attorney in Miami — signed u.s. attomeys handling the case.
House press secretary Sarah Huck- The Florida- off on a plea deal with Jeffrey Epstein, the Palm Beach The deal reached between Acos-
abee Sanders on Friday declined based U.S. Dis- ta and Epstein's attorneys allowed
to
billionaire and serial sex abuser, without informing the say whether President Donald 111 trict Judge Ken- him to not be prosecuted M fed-
Trump oil confidence hi La- fie. A. Marrs dozens of victims about what they were doing. eral court, and instead sentenced
bor Secretary Alexander Acosta, a , 0 1 ' ruled Acosta and in state court. The immunity from
Epstein also owns the island of little St. James in the
day after a federal judge ruled the other officials prosecution also extended to some
Justice Department broke the law did om confer Virgin Islands. of Epstein, co-conspirators.
while Acosta was a U.S. attorney. iik'_,.....L: with Epstein, Epstein pleaded guilty to two
A judge said Acosta — then the prostitution charges and served 13
U.S. attorney in Miami — signed JeffroY EristoM ‘theeti7008 abpcITiti Asked if Trump still has confi- The judge said in his decision months in county jail, according
off on a plea deal with Jeffrey Ep- agreement. But, dence in the latest member of his Thursday that he had reviewed to the Miami Herald. The victi.
stein, the Palm Beach billionaire notably, she appeared to defend the Cabinet — which he frequently evidence showing Epstein sexu- were not told of the agreement or
and serial sex abuser, without in- labor boss. praises as doing a collective solid ally abused more than 30 underage sentencing until it was too late to
forming victims about what they "But that they made the beg job — Sanders declined to say girls at his Palm Beach mansion intervene.
were doing. possible deal that they could have the president does. "Again, that's and elsewhere. The Department of Justice an-
o f tit' S:.17amTvsnin tthhee VilifigVi gotten at that time," she said...But, something we're looking into," the The Crime Victims' Rights Act nounced earlier this month it has
again, that, something we're look- spokeswoman said, "I'm not aware promises victims that the Justice opened an investigation into the
Islands. ing into." of any changes... Department would make its "best handling of Epstein's case.