Prosecutor who negotiated Epstein's sweetheart deal left off subpoena list
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Alex Acosta after announcing his resignation in Washington, D.C., in 2019. Photo: Alex Edelman/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump's former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta was not one of the former government officials subpoenaed Tuesday by the House Oversight Committee over the Jeffrey Epstein probe.
Why it matters: As a federal prosecutor in 2008, Acosta approved a highly controversial non-prosecution agreement that allowed Epstein to serve minimal time in prison and shut down the federal investigation into his alleged sex trafficking ring.
- The sweetheart plea deal, which Acosta negotiated without consulting Epstein's victims, also shielded his alleged co-conspirators from future prosecution related to his sex crimes.
- Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn her sex trafficking conviction, citing the agreement the Justice Department struck via Acosta. She said in a court filing Tuesday that she doesn't want the government to unseal grand jury testimony related to the Epstein case.
Driving the news: House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) announced Tuesday he had issued subpoenas to a number of prominent figures to appear for depositions in the following weeks and months.
- Those individuals included former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller.
- A House panel last month approved a motion by Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) to direct Comer to subpoena those individuals.
Yes, but: Acosta wasn't among those subpoenaed, which raised eyebrows from reporters and followers of the Epstein probe, given Acosta's role in negotiating the deal at the heart of the scandal.
- Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who was included in the subpoena list, was Acosta's boss during his time in South Florida.
Acosta negotiates "sweetheart deal" with Epstein
Flashback: A federal investigation into Epstein from 2006 to 2008 resulted in the disgraced financier avoiding a life prison sentence and striking a deal that saw him freed from prison entirely after 13 months.
- Acosta, who was serving as U.S. attorney in southern Florida at the time, approved the deal.
- Because of the "sweetheart deal," Epstein had to make payments to victims and he registered as a sex offender, AP reports. But he was allowed to continue traveling and conducting business.
Acosta defends Epstein deal
After Epstein was arrested and charged in 2019, Acosta, who was Trump's labor secretary at the time, faced widespread scrutiny from Epstein's accusers and lawmakers over the 2008 deal.
- A Florida judge ruled in February 2019 that prosecutors broke the law in reaching the deal because they did not notify Epstein's victims.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) ordered an investigation into the plea agreement conduct days before Epstein died by suicide. The attorneys were later cleared of any wrongdoing.
Acosta has long defended his handling of the Epstein deal.
- "The goal here was straightforward," Acosta said in 2019. "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."
Still, he resigned from his labor secretary position in 2019 after the backlash became a distraction for the Trump administration.
- In 2020, the Justice Department concluded in a report that Acosta demonstrated "poor judgment" when he signed off on the deal.
Where is Alex Acosta now?
Worth noting: Acosta was named to Newsmax Inc.'s board of directors in June 2025.
- Representatives for Newsmax did not respond to a request for comment.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.
