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Report: Labor Sec. Acosta Helped Shield Billionaire Who Sexually Abused Dozens of Girls

HeadlineNov 29, 2018

A sweeping new report by the Miami Herald lays out how Trump Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta helped billionaire Jeffrey Epstein avoid potential legal repercussions for sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of underage girls. The report reveals that Acosta—then a U.S. attorney in Florida—offered Epstein a plea deal in 2008 allowing him to serve just 13 months and avoid a federal trial. The deal put an end to an FBI probe into the case and granted immunity to any of the crimes’ co-conspirators. It’s unknown how many girls Epstein abused overall, though the Miami Herald identifies about 80 women who allege they were sexually abused by Epstein from 2001 to 2006. A survivor of the abuse, Courtney Wild, told the Herald, “Jeffrey preyed on girls who were in a bad way, girls who were basically homeless. He went after girls who he thought no one would listen to—and he was right.” Epstein was a wealthy hedge fund manager who was friends with former President Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and others.

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