Alexander Acosta is an American attorney and politician who served as the 27th United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019. He was nominated to the position by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate. Acosta is a member of the Republican Party with a long career in government service, including appointments by President George W. Bush to the National Labor Relations Board, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He is also a former dean of Florida International University College of Law.
He is notably known for approving a controversial plea deal in 2007-2008 as U.S. Attorney, which allowed Jeffrey Epstein, a child-trafficking ring leader, to plead guilty to a lesser state charge. This deal led to significant criticism and calls for his resignation as Secretary of Labor after Epstein's arrest on sex trafficking charges in 2019, which Acosta eventually did resign from.
Acosta's career highlights include being the first Hispanic Assistant Attorney General, leading prosecutions on human trafficking, white-collar crimes, and health care fraud, as well as serving in influential legal and academic roles.
