Alex Acosta, Trump’s secretary of labor, resigns as Epstein scandal heats up

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Labor Secretary Alex Acosta after talking to the media about his resignation, at the White House on July 12, 2019 in Washington, DC. Acosta has been under fire for his role in the Jeffrey Epstein plea deal over a decade ago when he was a U.S. Attorney in Florida. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Alex Acosta, Donald Trump’s secretary of labor, has resigned amid a growing furore around a so-called “sweetheart deal” he gave to multi-millionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2008.

On Monday, Epstein was arrested in New York and charged with sex trafficking of minors. Prosecutors say he operated a vast sex trafficking ring, in which he sexually abused dozens of children. Federal agents said they found a “vast trove” of sexual material, including pictures of young girls that were stored on CDs and kept in a safe at his Manhattan townhouse.