FEDERAL FOULS
Judge: Creep Epstein’s light sentence violated law
Federal prosecutors, including Trump Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, violated the law by negotiating a light sentence for multimillionaire pervert Jeffrey Epstein while keeping more than 30 underage victims in the dark, a judge ruled Thursday.
The 33-page decision by District Judge Kenneth Marra represented a scathing rebuke of Acosta’s handling of the Epstein (bottom photo) investigation while serving as U.S. attorney in Miami.
“Epstein used paid employees to find and bring minor girls to him. Epstein worked in concert with others to obtain minors not only for his own sexual gratification, but also for the sexual gratification of others,” Marra wrote.
Nevertheless, Epstein’s team of high-powered lawyers closely collaborated with Acosta (top photo) and his prosecutors on a 2008 deal that resulted in the depraved hedge-funder serving a 13month sentence in Palm Beach County Jail for prostitution charges. He is also a registered sex offender.
Epstein’s victims, many of whom were underage, got no notice of the deal. Those efforts, which were exposed in emails between Epstein’s attorneys and Acosta’s office, violated the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
“When the Government gives information to victims, it cannot be misleading. While the Gov- ernment spent un- told hours negoti- ating the terms and implications of the (nonprosecution agreement) with Epstein’s attorneys, scant information was shared with victims. Instead, the victims were told to be ‘patient’ while the investigation proceeded.”
Epstein was once a politically-connected hedge fund manager who counted President Trump and Bill Clinton among his friends. He’s long faced allegations he forced his underage victims to have sex with his famous pals who visited him at his mansions in Palm Beach or the Upper East Side. Epstein owns a private Caribbean island and flew in a private jet nicknamed the “Lolita Express” by the press.
The judge ordered a conference within 15 days to determine how to proceed.
Lawyer Jeff Herman, who represented several victims, said it was unlikely the sentence would be thrown out.
“When news of the ‘plea deal’ came out, my clients were extremely disappointed and felt victimized,” he said.
The Department of Justice has said it is investigating the handling of the case.
“For more than a decade, the actions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida in this case have been defended by the Department of Justice in litigation across three administrations and several attorneys general. The office’s decisions were approved by departmental leadership and followed departmental procedures,” a spokeswoman for Acosta said.