White House looking into Acosta role in sex abuse plea deal

Friday, February 22, 2019, Vol. 43, No. 8

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says it's "looking into" Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's handling of a secret plea deal with a wealthy financier accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls

A federal judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors in Florida violated the rights of victims by reaching the non-prosecution agreement with Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta was the Miami U.S. attorney who oversaw the arrangement.

President Donald Trump's spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, on Friday called it a "complicated case" that the White House was "looking into."

Asked if Trump still had confidence in Acosta, Sanders said: "Again, we're looking into the matter. I'm not aware of any changes."

Acosta has called the deal appropriate.