Pascrell Calls for Acosta Impeachment

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10) urging his committee to begin impeachment proceedings against Labor Secretary Alex Acosta for his role in helping coverup the crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein.

“The federal indictment of financier Jeffrey Epstein for child sexual exploitation and human trafficking has horrified millions. But with his alleged crimes well known for so long, Americans are rightly demanding to know why it took so long for Epstein to be held to account,” Pascrell writes. “In light of Acosta’s failures, and to ensure justice, I respectfully urge you to commence impeachment proceedings against Secretary Acosta.

“National confidence in our government cannot exist simultaneously with the continued presence of Acosta. If Congress cannot stand up for children who have been victimized by sexual trafficking, we can stand for nothing,” the letter concludes.

Rep. Pascrell has been a longtime critic of deferred- and non-prosecution agreements like the one Acosta bestowed on Epstein and his possible accomplices, believing they perpetuate a two-tier system of justice that protects the wealthy and powerful corporate actors. In the 110th Congress, Pascrell was a leader in the House in calling attention to the Justice Department’s over-reliance on non-prosecution agreements for certain defendants. Around the same time Acosta was finalizing a slap on the wrist for Epstein as U.S. Attorney for Southern Florida, Pascrell was bringing attention to then-U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Chris Christie’s abuse of deferred-prosecution agreements in the Garden State.

Pascrell first authored the Accountability in Deferred Prosecution Act in 2008 to place guidelines and impose transparency upon what was then a proliferation of special agreements allowing the powerful to avoid prosecution being handed out by the Justice Department.

A copy of Rep. Pascrell’s letter is available here, the text of which is provided below.

July 10, 2019

The Hon. Jerrold Nadler

Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary

2138 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Nadler:

The federal indictment of Jeffrey Epstein on July 8, 2019 by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York for sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic underage children has rightly horrified millions. While his alleged crimes have long been well known, this indictment builds on public reporting that shows Epstein “created a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit in locations including New York and Palm Beach.”^[i] Americans are rightly demanding to know why it took so long for Epstein to be held to account. Unfortunately, that dereliction can be traced in large part to current U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, who entered into a secret prosecutorial agreement with Epstein over a decade ago while serving as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Acosta’s shameful disregard for the law and those victims he was responsible for representing was a shocking breach of public trust and leaves me with no faith that he can properly enforce federal labor laws to combat human tracking. Therefore, I respectfully urge you to commence impeachment proceedings against Secretary Acosta.

Thanks to the work of intrepid reporting, we know the full extent of Epstein’s ability to escape culpability for molesting and trafficking over 80 girls and young women since the early 2000s.^[ii] In 2007, Epstein was facing life in prison for acts of widespread sexual exploitation that stun the conscience. However, then-U.S. Attorney Acosta ignored the evidence of several witnesses who bravely came forward and gave Epstein with a non-prosecution deal that concealed Epstein’s crimes and gave immunity to his possible (and unnamed) co-conspirators, preventing future investigations. Under the agreement, Epstein was sentenced to just 13 months in a private wing of the Palm Beach County jail under minimally invasive conditions. The agreement was even kept hidden from Epstein’s victims. As you recall, I worked closely with the Judiciary Committee on legislation to reform what was an out-of-control practice of granting the powerful non- and deferred- prosecution agreements like these.^[iii] Mr. Acosta’s actions essentially let a child predator and his accomplices off scot-free, protecting criminals while disdaining their victims.

Furthermore, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida found that none of the 36 victims that came forward in 2007 were consulted during the negotiating of Acosta’s agreement with Epstein. Communications uncovered by the Miami Herald revealed the close collaboration between federal prosecutors and Epstein’s legal team sought to shut out all sunlight. This devastating breach of trust shows that Acosta did not respect the victims seeking justice for credible accounts of sexual violence and human trafficking.

It is our responsibility to ensure public officials are held to the highest standards of the law. When entrusted with faithfully enforcing our anti-trafficking and other laws, Secretary Acosta did not do his job. Demands for his resignation are insufficient because it is our responsibility to hold top U.S. officials fully accountable. Resisting calls to leave, Acosta must be removed from our government by Congress.

This is an important moment. Americans are rightly fed up with the corruption endemic in this government and demanding accountability. National confidence in our government cannot exist simultaneously with the continued presence of Acosta. If Congress cannot stand up for children who have been harmed by sexual trafficking, we can stand for nothing.

Sincerely,

[i] https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1181016/download

[ii] https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html

[iii] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg41190/html/CHRG-110hhrg41190.htm

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