EPSTEIN
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resolution that put Epstein in jail, forced him to register as a sexual offender, and provided victims
with the means to obtain monetary damages. Acosta’s press conference did not end the
controversy, however, and on July 12, 2019, Acosta submitted to the President his resignation as
See, e.g., Ashley Collman, “Stunning new report details Trump’s labor secretary’s role in plea deal for
billionaire sex abuser,” The Business Insider, Nov. 29, 2018; Cynthia McFadden, “New Focus on Trump Labor
Secretary’s role in unusual plea deal for billionaire accused of sexual abuse,” NBC Nightly News, Nov. 29, 2018; Anita
Kumar, “Trump labor secretary out of running for attorney general after Miami Herald report,” McClatchy Washington
Bureau, Nov. 29, 2018; Emily Peck, “How Trump’s Labor Secretary Covered For A Millionaire Sex Abuser,”
Huffington Post, Nov. 29, 2018; Julie K. Brown, et al., “Lawmakers issue call for investigation of serial sex abuser
Jeffrey Epstein’s plea deal,” Miami Herald, Dec. 6, 2018.
Doe v. United States, 359 F. Supp. 3d 1201 (S.D. Fla., Feb. 21, 2019) (Opinion and Order, 9:08-80736-CIV-
Marra).
v
Secretary of Labor. In a brief oral statement, Acosta explained that continued media attention on
his handling of the Epstein investigation rather than on the economy was unfair to the Labor
Department.
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found hanging in his cell and was later pronounced dead.
The New York City Chief Medical Examiner concluded that Epstein had committed suicide.
As a result of Epstein’s death, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of
New York filed a nolle prosequi to dismiss the pending indictment against Epstein. On
August 27, 2019, the district court held a hearing at which more than a dozen of Epstein’s
victims—including victims of the conduct in Florida that was addressed through the NPA—spoke
about the impact of Epstein’s crimes. The court dismissed the Epstein indictment on
August 29, 2019.
After Epstein’s death, the federal district court in Florida overseeing the CVRA litigation
denied the petitioners their requested remedies and closed the case as moot. Among its findings,
the court concluded that although the government had violated the CVRA, the government had
asserted “legitimate and legally supportable positions throughout this litigation,” and therefore had
not litigated in bad faith. The court also noted it expected the government to “honor its
representation that it will provide training to its employees about the CVRA and the proper
treatment of crime victims,” as well as honoring its promise to meet with the victims.
On September 30, 2019, CVRA petitioner “Jane Doe 1” filed in her true name a petition
for a writ of mandamus in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, seeking
review of the district court’s order denying all of her requested remedies. In its responsive brief,
the government argued that “as a matter of law, the legal obligations under the CVRA do not attach
prior to the government charging a case” and thus, “the CVRA was not triggered in [the Southern
District of Florida] because no criminal charges were brought.” Nevertheless, during oral
argument, the government conceded that the USAO had not been “fully transparent” with the
petitioner and had “made a mistake in causing her to believe that the case was ongoing when in
fact the NPA had been signed.” On April 14, 2020, a divided panel of the Court of Appeals denied
the petition, ruling that CVRA rights do not attach until a defendant has been criminally charged.
On August 7, 2020, the court granted the petition for rehearing en banc and vacated the panel’s
opinion; as of the date of this Report, a briefing schedule has been issued, and oral argument is set
for December 3, 2020.
II.
THE INITIATION AND SCOPE OF OPR’S INVESTIGATION
After the Miami Herald published its investigative report on November 28, 2018,
U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency
Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts, sent a December 3, 2018 letter to OPR, citing the Miami
Herald’s report and requesting that OPR “open an investigation into the instances identified in this
reporting of possible misconduct by Department of Justice attorneys.” On February 6, 2019, the
Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs advised Senator Sasse that OPR had opened
vi
an investigation into the matter and would review the USAO’s decision to resolve the federal
investigation of Epstein through the NPA.6
After the district court issued its ruling in the CVRA litigation, on February 21, 2019, OPR
included within the scope of its investigation an examination of the government’s conduct that
formed the basis for the court’s findings that the USAO violated the CVRA in failing to afford
victims a reasonable right to confer with the government about the NPA before the agreement was