Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal comes under new scrutiny
Then U.S. attorney of South Florida Alexander Acosta agreed to let Jeffrey Epstein plead guilty to two state charges of soliciting prostitution with minors; Phil Keating reports from Miami.
'The View' hosts blasted Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta on Tuesday, calling for his resignation over his decision to offer billionaire Jeffrey Epstein -- indicted for sex trafficking -- a "sweetheart" plea deal in 2008 when Acosta was U.S. attorney in Miami.
"He has to resign because when you're a prosecutor, your job is not only to seek justice for the victims of a crime, [it's to] protect the community from their future crimes," co-host Sunny Hostin said.
Hostin, also an attorney, argued that Acosta's deal with Epstein allowed "new victims to be victimized." Co-host Whoopi Goldberg told Acosta to "get out" of the administration, claiming he broke the law by allegedly sidestepping victims before offering a plea deal.
Hostin, earlier in the conversation, asserted that "when you are offering a plea deal, you always consult with the victims. You always consult with their families."
AG BARR WILL NOT RECUSE HIMSELF FROM EPSTEIN CASE, DESPITE INITIAL STATEMENT
Acosta has defended the plea deal as appropriate under the circumstances, though the White House said in February that it was “looking into” his handling of the deal.
The deal, examined in detail in a series of reports in The Miami Herald, is being challenged in Florida federal court. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra of Florida ruled earlier this year that Epstein's victims should have been consulted under federal law about the deal, and he is now weighing whether to invalidate the deal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., responded to Monday's indictment against Epstein, who pleaded not guilty, by calling for Acosta's resignation.
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"As US Attorney, he engaged in an unconscionable agreement w/ Jeffrey Epstein kept secret from courageous, young victims preventing them from seeking justice," she said.
Fox News' Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.
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