Alex Acosta Finally Reveals Why He Offered Plea Deal To Epstein

Former U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta revealed to the House Oversight Committee why he offered a plea deal to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a press release.

Acosta, who previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, testified before the committee Friday on his part in Epstein’s plea deal. Under the 2007 deal Acosta negotiated, Epstein was granted immunity from federal prosecution in the case. The agreement allowed Epstein to plead guilty to two state charges in 2008, serve time in prison, register as a sex offender and provide compensation for his alleged victims. (RELATED: If Alex Acosta Was In Fact Told To Lay Off Epstein Due To Intel Ties, Who Delivered The Message?)

Despite facing serious federal charges that carried the possibility of a life sentence, Epstein never went to a federal trial and served only 13 months in jail.

A Justice Department report concluded that Acosta demonstrated “poor judgment” in his handling of the Epstein case as a federal prosecutor, though it found no evidence of professional misconduct.

🚨Alex Acosta’s name is missing from Epstein testimony list.

Read more👇@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/DiYSLAGCDG

— Ashley Brasfield (@BrasfieldAshley) August 5, 2025

During his testimony before the committee, Acosta noted that a central issue in the U.S. Southern District of Florida’s handling of the case was whether it should be prosecuted at the federal or local level, according to a readout in the House Oversight Committee’s press release. He testified that a statement from the lead prosecuting attorney highlighted evidentiary challenges that could have undermined a conviction at trial, the release said.

Given the risks, the consensus inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office was to seek a negotiated resolution, according to the readout.

Acosta further expressed a worry that taking the case to trial and losing could have sent the message that Epstein had evaded accountability for what he was accused of, allowing him to continue allegedly committing offenses, the committee said.

He also noted that while his office had secured several assurances that Epstein would not be granted work release, Palm Beach County ultimately permitted it, according to the readout. Acosta testified that, had the U.S. Attorney’s Office been aware the state would grant work release and fail to properly prosecute or handle the case, neither he nor his office would have agreed to turn it back over it to the state jurisdiction, the release said.

He took responsibility for the decision and expressed remorse, according to the readout.

Jeffrey Epstein got a sweetheart deal and was allowed to leave prison daily thanks to Alex Acosta. During the time he was supposed to be in prison, he raped and abused multiple women. Then Trump appointed Acosta to his cabinet. Release the files! pic.twitter.com/qBYtHTzLwx

— Oversight Dems (@OversightDems) September 19, 2025

Acosta, echoing former Attorney General Bill Barr, confirmed that he never saw President Donald Trump’s name on any document or in any matter related to Epstein, according to readout. (RELATED: Bill Barr Says Trump Never Intervened In Epstein Case, No Evidence Of Crime)

House Oversight Chairman James Comer highlighted Barr’s testimony that there was no evidence linking President Donald Trump to any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein in a statement in the press release.

“To be clear: former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr has stated there is no evidence of wrongdoing by President Trump. We call on Democrats to end these distractions and instead focus on what truly matters: transparency and accountability,” he said.

Comer also noted that Acosta cooperated with the committee during his testimony on Friday in the statement.

“Alex Acosta cooperated with our questions today and provided information that will help advance our investigation into the federal government’s handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases. This information will guide our next steps as we work to bring accountability, and we expect to announce new action soon. We will also release the transcript of Mr. Acosta’s interview to ensure transparency for the American people,” the chairman said.

He also highlighted that the administration is cooperating with the investigation into Epstein and expects to review financial records and additional documents from the Epstein estate.

.@OversightDems you know there’s a transcript, right? Yet you continue to lie.

The transcript will show Democrats’ FALSE NARRATIVE about what ACTUALLY happened today.

We look forward to releasing it soon. https://t.co/upJs5MjCTr

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) September 19, 2025

“As I stated earlier today, the Trump Administration is fully cooperating with our investigation, and we will soon review bank records to follow the money trail. In addition, the Epstein estate will provide unredacted cash ledgers, calendars, call logs, and message logs. This information is critical to our work,” the chairman said. (RELATED: Lawmakers To Question Alex Acosta On Epstein’s Plea Deal, Issue Subpoena To Estate)

He emphasized that the committee’s priority is uncovering the facts of the Epstein case, criticizing Democrats for “attempting to manufacture another false narrative about President Trump” instead of focusing on the truth.

Editor’s note: Article updated with additional information on the the deal Acosta negotiated.