Renuncia secretario de Trabajo por caso Epstein

Labor Secretary Acosta Resigning Amid Epstein Deal Scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) — El presidente Donald Trump informó el viernes que el secretario de Trabajo, Alexander Acosta, renunció a su cargo después de que le llovieron críticas por la forma en que manejó un acuerdo con el adinerado financista Jeffrey Epstein, quien es acusado de haber abusado sexualmente de decenas de niñas y menores de edad.

Trump anunció la noticia con Acosta a su lado en la Casa Blanca, poco antes de que el presidente estadounidense partiera al centro-oeste del país.

Acosta dijo que hacerse a un lado fue la decisión correcta.

Él fue el fiscal federal en Miami cuando supervisó un acuerdo de no enjuiciamiento con Epstein en 2008. Epstein evitó los cargos federales y pasó 13 meses en la cárcel.

Cargos similares presentados recientemente contra Epstein por fiscales federales en Nueva York pusieron bajo un nuevo escrutinio el papel de Acosta en el acuerdo de 2008.

English:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta said Friday he is resigning following renewed scrutiny of his handling of a 2008 secret plea deal with wealthy financier Jeffrey Esptein , who is accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.

President Donald Trump, with Acosta at his side, made the announcement as he left the White House for a trip to Wisconsin and Ohio. The president said Acosta had been a “great” labor secretary.

“I hate to see this happen,” Trump said. He said he did not ask Acosta to leave the Cabinet.

Acosta said his resignation would be effective in seven days. Acosta said he didn’t think it was right for his handling of Epstein’s case to distract from his work as secretary of labor.

Acosta was the U.S. attorney in Miami when he oversaw a 2008 non-prosecution agreement Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein avoided federal charges, plead guilty to state charges and served 13 months in jail. Similar charges recently filed against Epstein by federal prosecutors in New York had put Acosta’s role in the 2008 deal under renewed scrutiny.

Top Democratic lawmakers and presidential candidates had demanded that Acosta resign over his handling of the agreement, which a federal judge has said violated federal law because Acosta did not notify Epstein’s victims of the arrangement. The Justice Department has been investigating.