Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has ordered a criminal investigation of the Palm Beach sheriff and the state prosecutors who worked on the bizarre and perplexing case of Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and accused sex trafficker, according to Miami Herald reporter Julie Brown.
Despite an apparently strong case, the prosecutors in 2008 only brought a relatively minor charge of prostitution against Epstein that resulted in a 13-month jail sentence. During his sentence, he was allowed to leave for 12 hours a day, six days a week. Federal prosecutor Alex Acosta — who later became President Donald Trump’s Labor secretary — gave Epstein a suspiciously generous non-prosecution agreement, forestalling any federal charges at the time.
With Epstein now under indictment by the Southern District of New York for sex trafficking charges tied to the same events examined in 2008, Acosta came under renewed scrutiny and resigned from his administration position last month.
The Justice Department is likewise reviewing federal prosecutors’ handling of the case, including Acosta’s conduct.
Many mysteries remain about Epstein and the case. These include questions about how Epstein became as wealthy as he is, who else was involved in or knew about his reported crimes, and how he ended up with such a sweetheart deal in 2008.
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