under fire over a plea deal he once cut for multi-millionaire sex offender jeffrey epstein, alex acosta defended the handling of the case as a prosecutor. >> no regrets is a hard question. you look back and say what if. >> reporter: with you in victims coming forward questioning whether acosta was too lenient in the case, the secretary was asked whether he would have reached the same agreement today. time and again he pointed the finger at state prosecutors in florida claiming they were going to allow epstein to avoid jail time. >> today's world treats victims very, very differently. today's world does not allow some of the victim shaming that could have taken place at trial. i don't think we can say take a case that is this old and fully know how it would play out

secretary is stepping down over his role and striking a plea deal with convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein alex acosta had face to face criticism over the 2008 deal with some saying the punishment was too lenient and the edges of tropical storm barry are lashing the u.s. state of louisiana as the tracks closer to land states of emergency have been declared with dangerous storm surges heavy winds and high heavy rain and high winds predicted but there has been some good news with the mississippi river expected to crest up to 2 meters below the levees protecting the city of new orleans. the witness is up next. which defused a move to. move to do monday live. theater as it does if the mood fix on now though is yeah he died. they wanted was some was given to. get police again but didn't get a free stomach with my bob good minute. don't be yakking this just like. you should i do you still. think she's got you pushing saint to see cheney and queen going to the regimes. to cut your best my dad didn't get out of all he. called me the most able to be at the bottom. and the casual guy who can't get his just for

secretary is stepping down over his role in striking a pedia with convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein alex acosta had to face his criticism over the 2008 deal with some saying the punishment was too lenient and just after he announced the news about alex acosta president donald trump went on to say that immigrate immigrant deportations will begin in 10 u.s. cities this weekend this week will target people who've received final orders to leave the country including families and release in paris every move hundreds of undocumented migrants protesting inside the city's pantheon mostly empty the demonstrators who have been identifying themselves as the black press barricaded themselves inside the building for a number of hours those are the headlines inside story is next stay with us. iran accuses britain of being a servant of the united states as it demands a return of a seized on oil tanker and the u.k. is considering boosting its military presence after a close encounter in the gulf with tensions rising by the day what's the likelihood of a conflict this is inside story. hello and welcome to the p

secretary is stepping down over his role in striking a plea deal with convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein alex acosta had faced fierce criticism over the 2008 deal with some saying the punishment was too lenient and then the edges of tropical storm barry are lashing the u.s. state of louisiana as it tracks closer to land states of emergency have been declared with dangerous storm surges heavy rain and high winds predicted and there has been some good news forecast as now i expect the mississippi river will crest up to 2 meters below the levees protecting the city of new orleans well those are the headlines the news continues here after risking it all. on counting the costs $3.00 decades off the collapse of the soviet union russia is engaging with africa to raise its political clout and we look at the economics behind said his decision to buy the f. $400.00 an f. $35.00 stealth bomber counting the cost and i just did a. little . thank you thank you thank you. thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you. thank. you. thank you. thank. you. thank . you. yousif is on a mission he

secretary is stepping down over his role in striking a deal with convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein alex acosta had faced fierce criticism over the 2008 deal with some saying the punishment was too lenient and just after he announced the news about alex a cost the president donald trump went on to say integration deported ations will begin in 10 u.s. cities this weekend coming under a new attack over his immigration policies some democrats are accusing him of cruelty because of conditions in detention centers on the border with mexico the president has called the allegations phony and exaggerated. and police in paris have removed hundreds of undocumented migrants protesting inside the city's pantheon mausoleum the demonstrators barricaded themselves inside the building for a number of hours those are the headlines europe's for good and colony continues next. 2 2 2 2 2 book if they like to call the thought that day 2 we only saw the movie part one remember how the movie the crowd. a storm is the problem. the people who take over ownership read i'm ready to shame my mother into slavery ok she's d

wants acosta on the job for now. >> reporter: under fire for the plea deal he once cut for jeffrey epstein. alex acosta defended himself. >> no regrets is a very hard question. you always look back and say what if. >> reporter: with new victims coming forward questioning whether acosta was too lenient in the case, the secretary was asked whether he would reach the same agreement today. time and again he pointed the finger at state prosecutors in florida saying they were going to allow epstein to avoid jail time. >> today's world treats victims very, very differently. today's world does not allow some of the victim shame that could have taken place at trial. i don't think we can say, you know, take a case that is this old and fully know how it would play out today. we did what we did because we wanted to see epstein to go jail. there is a value to a sure guilty plea. because letting him walk, letting what the state attorney was ready to do, go forward, would have been absolutely awful. >> the secretary made it clear he is not about to resign, talking up his relationship with president trump while workin

alex acosta to resign. acosta was once the u.s. attorney who worked on the plea deal with jeffrey epstein. president trump is standing by acosta.day show" will have a live report on this next. > sports betting is one step closer to reality in d.c. they approved a measure that allows the company that operates the d.c. lottery also operate the city's future mobile betting app. stay with news 4 on the air and online for updates on the story. >>> five-day forec sunny and hot today. high 89. and 80% chance ofin ra and understorms tomorrow will be a storm team 4 meteorologist weather ahead day. >> taking a look at the traffic, southbound 95 chopper 4 over this issue at t occoquan river bridge. >> melissa, thank you. today.t is the news for we appreciate you waking up with us. >> "today show" is next. we'll see you in 25 minutes for news, weatrer and fic. until then, enjoy your day. >> make it a great wednesday, everybody. did you know comcast business goes beyond fast with a gig-speed network. complete internet reliability. advanced voice solutions. fi wio keep everyone connected. video monitoring. that's huge. did you guys know we d

of the white house, just 48 hours after taking questions about the secret plea deal for jeffrey epstein, alex acosta is out tonight, resigning today. president trump right there by his side. saying of his labor secretary, i'm with him. kyra phillips was at the white house as this played out. >> reporter: he tried to defend his reputation, but today alexander acosta stood next to president trump, who announced his labor secretary was stepping down. >> this was him, not me, because i'm with him. he was a -- he's a tremendous talent. he's a hispanic man. he went to harvard, a great student. >> reporter: acosta under fire since the recent arrest of wealthy financier jeffrey epstein on child sex trafficking charges. when acosta was u.s. attorney in florida 12 years ago, dozens of young women accused epstein of abusing them. but acosta gave the multimillionaire a plea deal that sent him to county jail for just 13 months. he was even allowed to go to work six days a week. in a lengthy news conference, acosta insisted state prosecutors would have let epstein go free. >> we did what we did because we wanted

jeffrey epstein. labor secretary alex acosta is facing a lot of scrutiny for his role in the 2008 plea deal down

jeffrey epstein. labor secretary alex acosta is facing a lot of scrutiny for his role in the 2008 plea deal down in florida. acosta says this time is different thanks to new evidence and additional testimony. is it accurate to imply that the evidence wasn't strong back in 2008 to fight this in court? >> so he talks about new evidence. i don't know how much new evidence there is. apparently some because the southern district itself reports that they conducted searches and found what appears to be child pornography at the home of jeffrey epstein. they also may have found additional witnesses to talk about conduct that happened in new york as opposed to florida, but what seems to me from being an outsider looking at this, what's really new is the evidence brought to bear from the miami newspaper that made it clear the way in which the resolution happened in florida with alex acosta at the head of the u.s. attorney's office was done in a very strange, arguably, potentially corrupt way. i was u.s. attorney for 7 1/2 years in my own district and i never once had a meeting, ever, not withstanding -- not even off

member of the trump cabinet to step down over his role in a plea deal for sex offender jeffrey epstein. >> alex acosta cut epstein a sweetheart deal. >> will the president stand by his man? >>> and a "today" exclusive. a new epstein accuser comes forward with an explosive claim. did jeffrey epstein rape you? >> yeah, he raped me. >> what happened to her when she was 14 years old, and why she's ready now to tell her story. >> i feel brave. i feel strong more than ever right now. >>> on alert. a dangerous system in the gulf of mexico expected to strengthen today, with the potential to become a tropical storm. preparations under way in the south for torrential rain, extreme flooding, and damaging winds. al joins us with the very latest just ahead. >>> placing blame. >> how about a warning? how about a sign? how about something? >> tragic, new details in the case of a toddler who fell to her death from an open window on a cruise ship. her family's desperate search for answers just ahead. >>> those stories, plus, stay out of the water. toxic algae blooms force mississippi to close almost all its beaches. >

capital. >> epstein should have been behind bars years ago but, unfortunately, secretary of labor, alex acosta, cut epstein a sweetheart dealt >> reporter:ll comes after billionaire financier jeffrey epstein pleaded not monday to new sex trafficking charges involving underage girls from 2002 to 2005. now, there is renewed scrutiny on acosta, a former florida u.s. attorney. acosta made a widely criticized plea deal with epstein in008 in a separate sex crimes case, also involving underage girls, for which epstein served 13nt mohs in jail and registered as a sex offender. as to ka twe acosta tweeting, i'med compleas that they're moving forward with a case based on new evidence. >> for two and a half years, he's been an excellent secretary of bor, done a fantastic job. >> reporter: making it clear his administration will examine acosta's handling of that case. >> i feel very badly about that whole situation, but we're going to be looking at that and looking at it very closely. t >> reporter: president also trying to distance himself pict this mar-a-lago party in 2000. >> i had a falling out with him a long time ago. i don't think i've spoken to him for 15 years. i wasn't a fan. >> rep

secretaries calls to resign amid criticism over the plea deal that he worked out with jeffrey epstein. alex acosta said he agreed to the deal because without it, jeffrey epstein may not have signed any time in prison but the palm beach county state attorney during the case said that the office had prepared a 53 page indictment that was abandoned after a secret negotiation took place. jeffrey epstein eventually served 13 months in jail, but was allowed to leave six days a week to go to work. now another alleged victim is coming for to say she was assaulted by the bi she was jus selected jeffrey epstein rape you? >> yes. he raped me. he forcefully raped me.>> on monday, he pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in a new york federal court. he also offered an explanation for why the plea deal was kept secret from victims but a florida judge rule has since ruled that it was illegal. >>> a showdown over the vaping sales ban suffer this november. yesterday the department of election certified a ballot measure looking to overturn the prohibition. the tobacco company juul backing the measure has re

jeffrey epstein. epstein is accused of raping younger girls. the president sending alex acosta before cameras for an hour to defend himself. and acosta performed a audience everyone. he was unapologyist fiercely defending his role in securing the sweetheart deal in 2008 for epstein. >> a state grand jury brought that single, completely unacceptable charge. a state official allowed epstein to self-surrender. i wanted to help him. that is why we intervened. we did what we did because we wanted to see epstein go to jail. he needed to go to jail. there was value to getting a guilty plea. you can always look at a play after the fact and say should it have been the safe play or gone for the big score? >> well acosta certainly went for the safe play. despite authorities having evidence that epstein skauly abused dozens of teenage girls. the deal hammered out resulted in epstein serving 13 months in a county jail. allowed to leave every day six day as week for 12 hours a day. if epstein had been convicted he could have served life behind bars. that was a sweetheart deal. yes acosta tod

since then, jeffrey epstein has gone back to living off his millions. jet setting all over the world. as for alex acosta, he agreed to do his special deal for jeffrey epstein in secret. federal law gives crime victims the right to be told when there are plea negotiations going on in this case, but alex acosta did not notify jeffrey epstein's victims before he granted him that plea deal. epstein's lawyers asked acosta to keep the deal secret and acosta agreed. and so courtney wild, one of epstein's victims who was kept in the dark about that deal, she sued the government, alleging that alex acosta and his team of prosecutors broke the law by keeping secret from her and all the other victims the fact that they gave epstein this non-prosecution deal. she filed that lawsuit 11 years ago. it dragged on for more than a decade. in the meanwhile -- in the meantime, courtney wild bravely and courageously put her name on the record and told her story about jeffrey epstein to the "miami herald." courtney wild did not give up, she did not drop her case after all that time. eventually earlier this year a federal jud

i have to ask you about these charges against jeffrey epstein. alex acostat go says nancy pelosi. i know you tweeted on the issue purity settings conduct was despicable. everyone should be vigorously prosecuted. speaking about jeffrey epstein, as far as alex acosta, should he have to go here? >> well, listen, epstein's conduct, as we said, was despicable. those who target children, it is a horrific evil. i'm glad that he is being prosecuted. i think everyone who was involved in this crime and participated abusing children, they should be prosecuted as well. that may well include epstein, the big, big democratic fund-raiser. i think we need to follow the evidence where it goes. >> sandra: alex acosta was involved in that secret plea deal. should he have to go? >> he was a u.s. attorney. i'm concerned about the allegations, but the department of justice has an ongoing investigation. i think we should have imposed the toughest penalty we could have based on the evidence. and i think we need to inquire -- >> sandra: senator ted cruz, great to have you here. >> b

. >> why are you talking about alex acosta and not jeffrey epstein. jeffrey epstein is the one raping young girls. >> so why are people talking about alex acosta as opposed to jeffrey epstein as kellyanne conway asks. >> well, i think as you mentioned, thanks to the "miami-herald" and the work of many, he's going to jail. but alex acosta is in the cabinet of the president of the united states and from great reporting, he is somebody who covered up the disgusting work of a pedophile and a sex trafficker by helping him get the sweetheart deal. that shouldn't be mg we find acceptable. not confusing or surprising that kellyanne conway is defending it giving trump is defending it but that shouldn't be the bar that we accept and we're talking about him because he's somebody that is running the labor department in the united states. >> and one of the things, one of the points that critics are making is that a judge in florida found that acosta, we made this point earlier, acosta violated the law by not letting the victims, the survivors know about the plea ag

member of the trump cabinet to step down over his role in a plea deal for sex offender jeffrey epstein. >> alex acosta sweetheart deal. >> will the president stand by his man? >>> and a "today" exclusive. a new epstein accuser comes forward with an explosive claim. did jeffrey epstein rape you? >> yeah, he raped me. >> what happened to her when she was 14 years old, and why she's ready now to tell her story. >> i feel brave. i feel strong more than ever right now. >>> on alert.

jeffrey epstein case. president said secretary alex acosta is doing a fantastic job. mr. trump also tried to distance himself from epstein in the oval office earlier today after once describing him alz a terrific guy. >> thank you very much -- >> reporter: tonight president trump appears to be standing by his embattled labor secretary alex acosta. at least for now. >> i can tell you that for two and a half years he's been just an excellent secretary of labor. he's done a fantastic job. >> reporter: the president appeared to diminish acosta's role as a federal prosecutor in 2008 plea agreement for jeffrey epstein who is facing new charges of running a child sex ring in florida that includes accusations of abusing teenage girls. >> i do hear there were a lot of people involved in that decision, not just him. i can only say this, from what i know and what i do know is that he's been a great -- really

they're so obsessed with this president that they immediately go to alex acosta rather than jeffrey epstein. why are you talking about alex acosta and not jeffrey epstein? jeffrey epstein is the one raping young girls. >> let's get straight to our white house correspondent, abby philip. abby, we will talk about jeffrey epstein and the trial he's about to face, but it's also a legitimate question to ask about alex acosta, is it not? do white house sources think he can survive this? >> reporter: absolutely, john. it is a question of what the white house is doing about the role alex acosta played in that previous plea deal with jeffrey epstein. kellyanne conway made sure to note that president trump met alex acosta for the first time two and a half years ago when he was considering him for this labor secretary job. but in the interim, there has been a lot of reporting about this -- about his role in that case and the white house said as recently as march that they were reviewing it, but there have been absolutely no updates whatsoever about the status of that review. but for the first time tod

jeffrey epstein pursued girls "on the younger side." today the president expressed sympathy not for the girls who jeffrey epstein is accused of sexually abusing, but for alex acostao was the federal prosecutor in florida who made a very forgiving deal with jeffrey epstein over ten years ago on similar charges, a deal that meant jeffrey epstein served no federal prison time. alex acosta is now donald trump's labor secretary. >> i feel very badly, actually, for secretary acosta because i've known him as being somebody that works so hard and has done such a good job. i feel very badly about that whole situation. >> and back with us, mimi rocah and zerlina maxwell. zerlina, he feels very badly for alex acosta. >> he either seems to always side with the person accused of rape or somebody covering up a crime. that's backwards. we should have our empathy placed squarely with the victims in this case who were very young and all of whom are recovering from the trauma they experienced as teenagers. that's a lifelong recovery process. that's not something you get over overnight. but in addition, i think there is a compound effect when it comes to donald trump. i am a firm b

it all goes back to a plea bargain that alex acosta made with jeffrey epstein plea bargain that alex jeffrey epstein in 2008. granting apps dying immunity from federal prosecution if he admitted a less serious charge. mr trump didn't think that was a problem. he made a deal that people were happy with and 12 years later they are not happy with it. you will have to figure all of that out. the fact is he has been a fantastic secretary of labour. and alex called me this morning and wa nted alex called me this morning and wanted to see me, i actually said, "well, we have to press right out here so perhaps you just want to say it to the press?" mr acosta will step down in one week, he said he didn't want his connection to the case to become a distraction. didn't want his connection to the case to become a distractionlj don't case to become a distraction.” don't think it is right and fair for this administration to have epstein as the focus rather than the incredible economy that we have today. so i have called the president this morning, i told him that i thought the right thing was to ste

. >>> under fire for his lenient handling of the jeffrey epstein x trafficking case, alex acosta is defying calls for his head. acosta held a news conference this afternoon where he a dealded the p he made with epstein 11 years ago. >> we did what we did becauso we wanted t see epstein go to jail. he needed to go to jail. >> reporter: today labor secretary alex acosta, former u.s. torney in florida, says accused sex trafficker jeffrey epstein wouldn't hav served time in jail over a decade ago if his office hasn't stepped in. >> simply put, the palm beach state attorney's office was ready to let ep teen walkfree, no jail time, nothing. >> becse of a deal struck in 2008, epstein pleaded guilty to state charges including solicitg prostitution from a minor in exchange for avoiding federal prosecution. he was sentenced to 13 months,ced to register as a sex offender, and make financial restitution with victim what some critics have called the deal of the century. in that agreement, the u.s. attorney makes it tlear that his office and fbi were investigating much more serious federal charges includ

lecretary to step down for his role in handling of sex cris case involving jeffrey epstein back in 2007. alex acosta insisted prosecutors did the best they could at the time with the evidence they had. now new york prosecutors are pursuing a new sex trafficking case against epstein involving minors. for more, i was joined earlier by edward-isaac doveref writer at "the atlantima zine. can alex acosta survive this? edward-isaac: he certainly could survive this. he only has to resign if he chooses to resign or pr trump says he should resign, and the president said today he esels badly for secretary acosta, which doot seem on the face of it to be the predicate to asking him to resign. on the other hand, we have seen time and again in the trump administration that the president will say he has confidence in someonwithin a matter of hours the person is out the door. laura: isn't the president really seeing which way the wind blows? so far it is mostly democrats who e calling for mr. acosta to quit. edward-isaac: and jeffrey epstein, it should be noted, isd an old friend ald trump's. he spoke about -- trum

census. >>> and did the labor secretary alex acosta give alleged sex trafficker jeffrey epstein too lenient a deal as democrats now claim? former u.s. attorney, preet bharara, there you see him. he's standing by live. it never questions the tasks at hand. but this year, there's a more thrilling path to follow. (father) kids... ...change of plans! (vo) defy the laws of human nature... ...at the summer of audi sales event get exceptional offers now! here's another reason to join t-mobile. unlimited data with taxes and fees included. no surprises on your bill. and here's another reason to join. bring in your discount, and we'll match it. that's right, t-mobile will match your discount. (annthe following moment for of relaxation with busy and hectic lives, is brought to you by colonial penn life insurance company. living insurance for them and for you. (birds chirping) living insurance for them and for you. learn more by visiting us online at livinginsurance.com. you might or joints.hing for your heart... but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally discovered in jell

this time labor secretary alex acosta announced his resignation days after coming under heavy scrutiny for miss role in a plea deal with accused child rapist jeffrey epstein when acosta was u.s. attorney in florida. >> he has been a fantastic secretary of labor. and alex called me this morning and he wanted to see me. i just want to let you know, this was him not me. because i'm with him. he was a -- he is a tremendous talent. >> so that's today. of course just two days ago acosta said it was up to the president, not him. zbloots i'm doing my job. if at some point the president decides that i am not the best person to do this job, i respect that. that is his choice. i serve at the pleasure of the president. >> got it. so what changed? the senior white house official tells cnn that trump was stewing and worried that a steady stream of revelations would haunt trump on the campaign trail. and acosta may not be the only one on the chopping block. a senior white house official telling cnn that the president is looking at replacing his director of national intelligence dan coates what's parking this round of speculation? it's not clear. but the president has lo

. ♪ >> jesse: major developments in the jeffrey epstein scandal, alex acosta announcing he is steppingirestorm of criticism over his role in the controversial 2008 plea deal after defending himself earlier this week, here is acosta explaining why he has for us dominic resigning. >> it would be selfish for me to stay in this position and continue talking about a case that is 12 years old rather than about the amazing economy that we have right now, and so i submitted my resignation to the president effective seven days from today. going forward, that for this demonstration they need to focus not on this matter. >> jesse: president trump defending acosta from the wave of attacks and also distancing himself from jeffrey epstein. >> i think he was a great labor secretary, not a good labor secretary. he has done a fantastic job. he is doing this for the administration. and alex, i think you will agree, i said you don't have to do this. he does not have to do this. i was not a fan of jeffrey epstein. other people went all over, they went to his island, find out the people that went to the is

alex acosta was the u.s. attorney in florida jeffrey epstein very connected very rich he was accused in the indictment had dozens and dozens of charges of basically running a child sex ring so accustomed really i think there were a lot of places for him to go democrats were going to continue to call for him to step down especially given that the epstein case is going to be winding its way through the courts for months or even years and just after he announced the news about acosta donald trump went on to say immigrant deportations will begin in 10 u.s. cities this weekend this week will target people who received final orders to leave the country including families trump says immigration and customs enforcement officers will focus on criminals gibraltar police say 2 more officers from an iranian oil tanker have now been arrested after their ship was seized last week it brings the total number to 4 though none has been charged the crew suspected of breaking sanctions by transporting oil to syria turkey has received the 1st shipments of the russian $400.00 missile defense system the u.s. has previously warned turk

tonight in the wake of the latest sex trafficking charges against jeffrey epstein, democrats are calling for the resignation of alex acosta who has a federal prosecutor negotiated a lenient plea deal back in 2008 and one those are amy klobuchar joining us now. >> thanks, wolf. >> so you released a statement calling on secretary acosta to resign in light of the epstein arrest but the details of acosta's involvement in this plea deal, they were revealed by the "miami herald" basically part of a long journalistic investigation, it was all published late last year, why did you and so many others wait for epstein's arrest this week before deciding to push for his resignation? >> you know, i didn't vote for secretary acosta to begin with. so i think that was part of it. a number of us had opposed him from the very beginning as this being one of the reasons, as you know senator kaine asked him about this at the hearing. but i think there has been many new developments since that hearing. the first thing was a federal district court came out and said that that agreement that he had made with epstein's lawyer violated the law. i k

alex acosta whose facing the demands that he step down. acosta was a u.s. attorney a decade ago when he cut a secret plea deal for multi-millionaire jeffrey epstein who faced sex charges and now with epstein facing new charges for allegedly running a sex trafficking network and abusing underage girls, joe biden is the latest to demand that acosta resign. president trump says acosta is doing a great and fantastic job. but said the matter must be looked at closely. i'll speak with democratic candidate amy klobuchar and congressman john garamendi and our correspondents will have full coverage. let's begin with our chief white house correspondent jim acosta. a member of the trump cabinet is under fire for his controversial actions in a previous job. what is the latest? >> reporter: he certainly is, wolf. president trump is stepping up to defend his labor secretary who is is facing calls to resign over his handling of the jeffrey epstein case. president said secretary alex acosta is doing a fantastic job. mr. trump also tried to distance himself from epstein in the oval office earlier today after once describing him alz a terrific guy. >> thank you very much --

epstein go to jail. >> an explanation but no apology from alex acosta for the 2008 jeffrey epstein deal. a former state's attorney said the labor secretary is rewriting history. >>> it looks like the retaliation that iran promised. five armed boats tried to seize a british tanker in the gulf. they were unsuccessful. i'm boris sanchez. >> i'm christine romans. it's thursday, july 11th. 4 a.m. in new york. 12:30 p.m. in tehran. it is 9 a.m., 9:01 to be exact in london. breaking overnight. nationwide raids to round up undocumented immigrants. they are three days away. "the new york times" reporting the raids are scheduled to begin sunday. that's according to one former and two current homeland security officials. "the times" reports they will include collateral deportations sfwh that . what is that? if they are on the scene and they are not targets. family members arrested together will be held in family detention centers when possible. on wednesday a top immigration official suggested these raids were imminent. >> they're absolutely going to happen. there's approximately a million people i

actions as a us attorney a decade ago that defense comes with no regrets from alex acosta and his handling of the jeffrey. >>epsteinher partners at the cnn has the latest. >>under fire over a plea deal. he wants cut for multimillionaire sec's offender jeffrey epstein, labor secretary alex acosta defended his handling of the case during his days as a federal prosecutor. >>no regrets is a very hard question. you always look back and you say what if. >>with new victims coming forward questioning whether a cost it was too lenient in the case. the secretary was asked whether he would have reached the same agreement today. time again he pointed the finger at state prosecutors in florida, claiming they were going to allow abstain to avoid jail time. >>today's world treats victims very very different. today's world does not allow some of the victim shame that have taken place at trial. i don't think we can say. you know take a case that is this old. and fully know how it play out today we did what we did because we wanted to see epstein go to jail. there is a value to a short guilty plea. because letting him walk letting w

rejected the calls despite more women coming forward saying jeffrey epstein molested them.>> he needed to go to deal. >> reporter: alex acosta says he did the right thing when it comes to the controversial plea deal for convicted sex offender, jeffrey epstein. sweat there is a value to a guilty plea because letting him walk, letting with the state attorney was ready to do go forward, would have been absolutely awful. >> reporter: acosta says the alternative would have been state charges and epstein may not have served any time. instead, he received 30 months in jail, the was allowed to leave six days a week to go to work. barry krisher the palm beach county state attorney during the case said acosta is office says he had a 53 page indictment against jeffrey epstein that was abandoned after the secret negotiations. this week, more women are coming forward, accusing jeffrey epstein of abusing them. selected jeffrey epstein rape you? >> yes. he raped me. forcefully raped me. >> reporter: jennifer reyes told nbc news she was 15 when she was assaulted at the manhattan townhouse the early 2000. she now plans to file a civil suit a

jeffrey epstein would have gotten away with just the state charge. his >> reporter: the white house is defending labor secretary alex acosta, over his handling the plea deal for billionaire financier jeffrey epstein, when acosta was a u.s. attorney in miami. select the defense attorneys in the case exit try to get alex a reload because they thought he was an aggressive prosecutor. >> reporter: epstein was given a 13 month sentence allowed him to leave jail and go to work six days a week. acosta also made an agreement with epstein's attorneys to keep the plea deal a secret from the victims in the case. something a florida judge ruled that the this year was illegal.>> i reached out to mr. acosta numerous time saying, just sit down with us and explain why. >> reporter: many lawmakers are asking the same question, and they want a justice disbarred justice department probe launched examining the jeffrey epstein plea deal to be made public. epstein's attorney in the agreement defended the plea deal thing the federal government did not have enough evidence to prosecute his client. >> they got him to be a registered sex offender, to pay vast amounts of money

. >>> and did the labor secretary alex acosta give alleged sex trafficker jeffrey epstein too lenient a deal as democrats now claim? former u.s. attorney, preet bharara, there you see him. he's standing by live. it never questions the tasks at hand. but this year, there's a more thrilling path to follow. (father) kids...

that, that i've got his support. >> secreta alex acosta was a federal prosecutor in miami in 2008 when he cut a deal in the case of wealthy financier jeffrey epsteinlving dozens of teenaged girls. since becoming labor secretary acosta is under new scrutiny for what some say is too lenient of a deal. epstein serve 13 months in jail. >> you chose wealthy and well-connected people. child rapists over the victims in thisase. >> now the controversy is growing. as epstein has pleaded not guilty to new charges. the feds say they seized illegal photos of underage girls in a recent raid of epstein's home and a woman who said epstein sexually abused her when she was 15 described it t o "today show." >> did jeffrey epstein rape you? >> he raped me. forcefully rapedme, he knew exactly what he was doing. and i don't think cared. >> the accuser saidhe did not go to authorities and is not part of the new york criminal case. but nbc news has confirmed she told her mother, ex-boyfriend and two close friends at the time. epstein has not responded to requests for comments about her allegati allegations. in previous discussions, epstein's lawyers are said to have cha

alex acosta. kelly o'donnell is with us. it sounds like we will now for the first time since the jeffrey epstein case developed in new york hearalex acosta on camera. >> that is the plan. the labor secretary will hold press availability which by definition would typically include a statement and then a question and answer. sometimes the terms used biff this administration don't always square with our expectations. but the labor secretary has given a three-part tweet as his only public comment since this broke in the southern district of new york case will be speaking today. of course as we have been reporting this is all about his stewardship of a plea deal with jeffrey epstein in 2008 when alex acosta was then the u.s. attorney in miami. he worked with the defense and brokered a plea deal where epstein admitted his culpability, was sentenced to an unusual circumstance given the gravity of the charges where he had a work release while incarcerated at a county jail. for 12 hours a day, he was able to go to his office and work and go about his business with some degree of supervision and then sleep at the jail effectively. also

growing number of major trump departures, adds one more to its list, alex acosta heading for the door as the fallout over jeffrey epstein to "up," the list of trump administration departures is long and getting longer. labor secretary alex acosta has resign over his role in the plea deal for jeffrey epstein who faces new charges of sex trafficking, dozens of girls, some as young as 14. acosta made the announcement yesterday outside the white house. >> it would be selfish for mow to stay in this position and continue talking about a case that's 12 years old and so i submitted my resignation to the president effective seven days from today. effective one week from today. earlier this morning. >> acosta's decision to row sign raises a lot of questions. lawmakers knew of his involvement in the nonprosecution agreement during the confirmation process, after the "miami herald" published a series on jeffrey epstein focussing on that deal, he was under more scrutiny. president trump defended acosta and insisted he did not ask for acosta's resignation. >> i want to let you know, this was him, not me. alex was a great student at

over his role in striking a plea deal with convects a convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein president confirmed alex acosta will be leaving his post after growing calls for and the courts. brawl to police say 2 more officers from an iranian oil tanker have now been arrested after their ship was seized last week bringing the total number to 4 the crew of the grey swan are under suspicion of breaking un sanctions by transporting oil to syria. turkey has received the 1st shipment of the russian s 400 missile defense system the u.s. has previously warned turkey it could face sanctions over the purchase and that it won't be allowed to purchase f. 35 fighter jets. now in the u.s. president donald trump has approved treader all resources to louisiana after hurricane warnings were issued along the coast ports of new orleans are still underwater after days of thunder storms and floods residents are putting sandbags outside their properties or leaving town hurricane barry is expected to make landfall on sunday on saturday excuse me let's bring in correspondent. joining us from new orleans itself a dreadful situation

labor secretary alex acosta is out and grayling debate over his handling of the sex abuse case years ago involving jeffrey epstein>> president trump continues to defend alex acosta and distance himself from epstein. >> it would be selfish for me to say in this position and continue, talking about a case that is 12 years old. >> reporter: the president outside the white house today with labor secretary alex acosta announcing he is stepping down from his position. >> as i look forward, i don't think it is right and fair for this administration to have epstein as the focus rather than the incredible economy we have today. >> reporter: the resignation coming in the wake of controversy. critics arguing the former u.s. attorney for southern florida was too lenient in a plea deal struck a very we could -- with chp jeffrey epstein. >> people are not happy with it. >> reporter: the president making it clear that the resignation was not requested by the white house. >> alex acosta was a great secretary of labor. >> reporter: asked about his relationship with epstein, the president said they had a falling out years ago. >>

while the white house is publicly defending acosta -- >> why are you talking about alex acosta and not jeffrey epstein. >> reporter: one confidant saying he doesn't believe acosta will last. >> he'll be gone in six weeks or shorter. >> i think it will be in a relatively quick period he will be gone. >> reporter: meantime, trump is now distancing himself from epstein who he once described as a terrific guy who likes beautiful women as much as i know. >> i knew him like everybody in palm beach. i had a falling out with him a long time ago. i don't think i've spoken to him for 15 years. i wasn't a fan. >> reporter: and he was a visitor at the mar-a-lago resort but the attorney for the trump administration said trump banned him from the property, although he doesn't remember when or why. as for epstein, who is facing new charges in a new york case, another accuser went public today. describing being raped by him as a teenager. >> forcefully raped me, knew exactly what he was doing. and i don't think cared. what hurts even more so is that if i wasn't afraid to come forward sooner, then maybe he wouldn't ha

60 minutes donald trump reluctantly accepted the resignation of his labor secretary alex acosta after the jeffrey epstein sex scandal. i j you don't have to do that. the visit after the. police and her arrest another 2 crew members from the iranian oil tanker seized last week. turkey gets its 1st delivery of a russian made missile system despite concerns from its allies. and parts of new orleans are already under water as the city braces for another hurricane we'll have a live report in support of it reaches another wimbledon final are the details from his match as an epic wind already reduced with roger federer and rafael nadal meeting in the stands. hello the u.s. president donald trump has lost another member of his cabinet laborous. secretary alex accost up is resigning while he's faced fierce criticism over a secret plea deal he negotiated a decade ago with jeffrey epstein the billionaire accused of sexually abusing underage girls i do not think it is right and fair for just that minute great labor department to have epstein as the focus rather than the credible economy that we have today. and like

five specific statutes they found that alex acosta -- excuse me, that jeffrey epstein violated. and they all have to do with sex trafficking or similar types of charges. >> do we know, i'm trying to understand the new evidence. when they went to his house in the last week and found all of these photographs or files with the photographs, i know we've got to go, why were they at his house to begin with? >> well, as far as that's concerned, that's not new evidence as it relates to the indictment. the indictment was already filed. it was filed on july 2nd. so if alex acosta is referring to the stuff found at jeffrey epstein's house, that has nothing to do with the indictment brought that was unsealed yesterday for which epstein was in court for. >> thank you for clearing this up. you are the guy we turn to when we need to clear things up. >>> thanks for watching. see you back here at 3:00 p.m. >> i'll see you tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. we hand you off to peter alexander who picks up coverage in washington. >> hello. thank you very much. i'm peter alexander in today for katy tur. 11:00 ou

was the week more than 10 years ago that epstein went to jail. >> after alex acosta's press conference in which he blamed the very forgiving deal he made with jeffrey epstein on the local palm beach prosecutor, barry krisher who gave this statement. i can emphatically state that his recollection of this matter is completely wrong. the u.s. attorney's office produced a 53-page indictment that was abandoned after secret negotiations between mr. epstein's lawyers and mr. acosta. the state attorney's office was not a party to those meetings and negotiations and definitely had no part in the federal non-prosecution agreement and the unusual confidentiality arrangement that kept everything hidden from the victims no matter how my office resolved the state charges. the u.s. attorney's office always had the ability to file its own federal charges. mr. acosta should not be allowed to rewrite history. barry krisher's statement makes the central element of alex acosta's defense today untrue. the state attorney's office was not a party to those meetings or negotiations and definitely had no part in the federal non-prosecution agreement. if that is true, that d