Pres. Trump on outgoing Labor Sec. Alex Acosta: 'He was a great student at Harvard. He's Hispanic, which I so admire, because maybe it was a little tougher for him...But he did an unbelievable job as the secretary of Labor.'
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta has resigned amid controversy over his role in a 2008 plea deal with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump said it was very sad to see him go but said Acosta told him he didn't want to distract form the strong economy and the work the administration is doing. WATCH: Labor Sec. Alex Acosta announces his resignation amid scrutiny over his role in Epstein plea deal. When asked by ABC News' Kyra Philips whether he knew Epstein was molesting young girls, Trump said no.
"The goal here was straightforward," Acosta said."Put Epstein behind bars, ensure he registered as a sexual offender, provide victims with a means to seek restitution, and protect the public by putting them on notice that a sexual predator was within their midst."When asked by ABC News' Tom Llamas whether Epstein's victims deserved an apology, Acosta responded by noting decisions the prosecutor in the case made to try to help victims secure financial restitution.
During his time heading the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, Acosta negotiated a plea deal that allowed Epstein to serve a 13-month sentence on state prostitution charges, avoiding more serious federal sex trafficking charges calling for a much longer prison term. While serving out his sentence in a private wing of the Palm Beach County Jail, Epstein was allowed out for work release 12 hours a day, six days a week.
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