Live updates: Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein indictment unsealed – CNN

In November, the Miami Herald reported that when Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta was a US attorney in Florida, he gave Jeffery Epstein the “deal of a lifetime.”

In a sweeping review of the politically connected billionaire’s case, the Herald explained how Acosta had made an agreement with Epstein to avoid major repercussions for the hedge fund manager, even though a federal investigation had identified 36 underage victims.

The report said Acosta had brokered a deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys, where he pleaded in 2008 to two state prostitution charges, ultimately serving only 13 months and avoiding a federal trial. He also registered as a sex offender and paid restitution to the victims identified by the FBI.

The agreement, the Herald said, “essentially shut down an ongoing FBI probe” and further granted immunity to “any potential co-conspirators” in the case.

Acosta told CNN in February that he welcomed an investigation by Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility into his handling of Epstein’s plea agreement.

Acosta also denied any wrongdoing.

Two months earlier, Epstein settled a separate lawsuit that could have allowed for several of his accusers to tell their stories in open court.