OUR REQUESTS. AND IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH
JENNIFER AVO SDPLRKSZA’S LAWYERS
EPSTEIN’S ATTORNEYS HAVE
CHALLENGED HER CREDIBILITY.
JIM CURSER.
JIM CURSER. WE ALSO HAVE JEFF LIEU.
JIM ACOSTA IS NATIONAL POLITICAL
REPORTER FOR THE "WASHINGTON
POST."
POST." AND JESSICA ROTH HERE WITH ME AT
THE TABLE IS THE FORMER SOUTHERN
PROSECUTOR FOR THE DISTRICT OF
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. JIM ACOSTA, I WANT TO START WITH
THE POLITICS ON THIS.
ACOSTA IS CATCHING HEAT NOT JUST
FROM DEMOCRATS BUT ALSO INSIDE
THE WHITE HOUSE WHO FEEL ACOSTA
HAS NOT DONE ENOUGH TO PUSH THE
TRUMP AGENDA AT THE LABOR
DEPARTMENT, AND THAT THE EPSTEIN
FALLOUT COULD PROVIDE A PRETEXT
TO PUSH ACOSTA TO THE EXITS.
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES IN THE
WHITE HOUSE TELLING YOU NOT JUST
ABOUT THE GROWING PRESSURE ON
ACOSTA, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WHERE THE PRESIDENT STANDS ON
ALL OF THIS?
>> BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS
WITH TRUMP ADVISERS, THE CHIEF
OF STAFF HAVE HAD INTENTIONS IN
RECENT MONTHS ABOUT THE PACE OF
DEREGULATION AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR.
OF LABOR. MICK MULVANEY COMING OUT OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, A
CONSERVATIVE HARDLINER.
CONSERVATIVE HARDLINER. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DONE,
HAS BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH ACOSTA
AT TIMES AND HOW THINGS HAVE
PROCEEDED ON POLICY.
THE PRESIDENT IS AWARE OF THIS
BUT HE ALSO LIKES ACOSTA
PERSONALLY IN THE SENSE HE SEES
HIM AS A LOYAL, HARD WORKER,
SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T STEAL THE
SPOTLIGHT FROM THE PRESIDENT.
AT THIS MOMENT SOME TRUMP
CONFIDANTS SAY TRUMP WILL LET
THIS PLAY OUT, BUT IF IT PLAYS
OUT IN AN UNFAVORABLE WAY TOWARD
THE SECRETARY, HE COULD WALK
AWAY.
AWAY. WE’VE SEEN THIS WITH PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS.
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS. THIS PROCESS TAKES ITS TIME AND
ULTIMATELY THE OFFICIAL COULD
STEP AWAY.
STEP AWAY. >> SCOTT PRUITT COMES TO MIND,
RIGHT, WHERE THE PRESIDENT DUG
IN FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS AND WEEKS
UNTIL HE EVENTUALLY JUST GAVE
UP.
UP. GLEN, I WANT TO TURN TO YOU
BECAUSE YOU POSTED SOMETHING ON
TWITTER THAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. YOU SAID THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE
MAKES IT CLEAR THAT SECRETARY
ACOSTA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO
CRIMINALLY VIOLATE THE CRIMINAL
RIGHTS ACT.
RIGHTS ACT. UNPACK THAT FOR US.
>> JEFF, LET’S BRIEFLY WALK
THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
SO THE CRIME VICTIM RIGHTS ACT
ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE VICTIM’S
BILL OF RIGHTS IS IN THE FEDERAL
CODE.
CODE. IT’S 18-USC-1871.
IT’S 18-USC-1871. IT SAYS THE VICTIMS, QUOTE, HAVE
A RIGHT TO BE INFORMED IN A
TIMELY MANNER OF ANY PLEA
BARGAIN OR DEFERRED PROSECUTION
AGREEMENT.
AGREEMENT. THAT WOULD BE THE
NON-PROSECUTION AGREEMENT IN
THIS CASE.
THIS CASE. NOW, THE MIAMI HERALD DOING SOME
GREAT REPORTING GOT SOME EMAIL
TRAFFIC BETWEEN THEN-U.S.
ATTORNEY ACOSTA AND EPSTEIN’S
LEGAL TEAM, NAMELY JAY
LEFKOWITZ.
LEFKOWITZ. HERE’S WHAT THE EMAIL READS.
QUOTE, IN A LETTER SENT BY
LEFKOWITZ MEMORIALIZEING THE
MEANING, THE MIAMI HERALD
REPORTED HE THANKED ACOSTA FOR
MAKING OUT A DEAL WITH THE U.S.
ATTORNEY NOT TO CONTACT ANY OF
THE INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED, THE
POTENTIAL WITNESSES OR THE
POTENTIAL CIVIL CLAIMANTS.
THAT WOULD BE THE VICTIMS.
JEFF, THAT IS MORE THAN JUST A
SMOKING GUN SHOWING THAT ACOSTA
CONSPIRED WITH LEFKOWITZ AND
PERHAPS OTHERS TO VIOLATE THE
CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS ACT.
IT MIGHT AS WELL BE A
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF ACOSTA AT
THE FIRING RANGE UNLOADING,
FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, AND
KILLING THE RIGHTS OF THESE
CRIME VICTIMS.
CRIME VICTIMS. THAT REALLY INDICATES AN
INVESTIGATION MUST BE OPENED
INTO WHAT ACOSTA DID TO DENY
THESE VICTIMS THEIR RIGHTS BACK
IN 2008.
IN 2008. >> AND JESSICA ROTH, ACOSTA IS
DEFENDING HIMSELF.
DEFENDING HIMSELF. I WANT TO READ FOR YOU A FEW OF
THE TWEETS HE PUT OUT YESTERDAY
AND GET YOUR REACTION.
HE SAYS THIS.
WITH THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE MORE
THAN A DECADE AGO, FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS INSISTED THAT
EPSTEIN GO TO JAIL, REGISTER AS
A SEX OFFENDER AND PUT THE WORLD
ON NOTICE THAT HE IS A SEXUAL
PREDATOR.
PREDATOR. NOW THAT NEW EVIDENCE AND
ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY IS
AVAILABLE, THE NEW YORK
PROSECUTION OFFERS AN IMPORTANT
OPPORTUNITY TO MORE FULLY BRING
HIM TO JUSTICE.
BUT LOOK, THE MIAMI HERALD
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JULIE K.
BROWN, SHE SPENT MORE THAN TWO
YEARS INVESTIGATING THIS CASE
AND INTERVIEWING MORE THAN 60
GIRLS SAYING EPSTEIN SEXUALLY
ABUSED THEM.
ABUSED THEM. SHE RESPONDED DIRECTLY TO
ACOSTA’S TWEET AND SHE SAYS
THIS.
THIS. ACCEPT THE RECORD SHOWS YOU HAD
THE EVIDENCE IN 2007.
REMEMBER 593-PAGE INDICTMENT, TH
FOHNE
FOHNE PHONE POLLS, THE WITNESSES THAT
WORKED FOR EPSTEIN?
WHAT’S YOUR POINT ON THAT AND
THE STATEMENT GLEN JUST MADE?
>> ACOSTA IS SAYING IN THOSE
TWEETS THAT THE REASON HE WENT
FORWARD WAS THAT THE EVIDENCE
WAS SOMEHOW LACKING.
THEREFORE, THE DEAL THAT HE GOT
WHICH WAS VERY LENIENT AND
UNUSUAL IN MANY RESPECTS WAS THE
BEST OUTCOME UNDER THE
CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE IT ENSURED
THAT EPSTEIN WENT TO JAIL FOR
SOME PERIOD OF TIME AND THAT HE
REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER.
THE PROBLEM IS IT’S REALLY HARD
TO RECONCILE THAT POSITION WITH
EVIDENCE THAT’S COME TO LIGHT
THROUGH REPORTING WITH THE MIAMI
HERALD AND OTHER SOURCES,
INCLUDING LITIGATION, AND CIVIL
LITIGATION IN FLORIDA AND
ELSEWHERE BROUGHT BY THE
VICTIMS.
VICTIMS. IT DOES SEEM THERE WAS EXTENSIVE
EVIDENCE AVAILABLE, EFFICIENT
FOR HIS LINE PROSECUTORS TO
DRAFT THAT INDICTM INCLUDED
MULTIPLE SERIOUS FEDERAL
FELONIES.
FELONIES. SO EVEN THOUGH THERE DOES APPEAR
TO BE NEW EVIDENCE IN THE NEW
YORK CHARGES AND THE NEW YORK
ATTORNEY SAID AS MUCH, IT’S NOT
CLEAR THAT THE EVIDENCE WAS
INSUFFICIENT AT THE TIME IN
FLORIDA, AND I THINK THAT ACOSTA
IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO MORE
EXPLAINING.
EXPLAINING. >> CHRIS LEW, I WANT TO DRAW ON
YOUR EXPERIENCE AS SECRETARY OF
LABOR DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT, IT TURNS
OUT, ACTUALLY HAS A ROLE IN
COORDINATING ANTI-HUMAN
COORDINATING ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING EFFORTS, BUT
APPARENTLY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION IS ROLLING THAT
BACK.
BACK. IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR IS ONE
OF THE LEAD FEDERAL AGENCIES IN
FIGHTING TRAFFICKING NOT ONLY
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES BUT
AROUND THE WORLD.
IT PUTS OUT AN ANNUAL REPORT ON
CHILD LABOR AND FORCED LABOR
AROUND THE WORLD.
AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES,
LABOR INSPECTORS ARE OFTEN THE
FIRST PEOPLE ON THE SCENE WHO
ENCOUNTER VICTIMS OF
TRAFFICKING.
TRAFFICKING. AND JUST IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS,
THIS LABOR DEPARTMENT UNDER
ACOSTA PUT A MORATORIUM ON
GRANTING POTENTIAL VISAS TO
VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING AND HAS
NOW ADDED AN ADDITIONAL
BUREAUCRATIC STEP IN THE PROCESS
THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY DELAY FOR
WEEKS AND EVEN MONTHS THESE
VICTIMS GETTING PROTECTION.
ALREADY WHEN YOU’RE INSPECTING
WORKPLACES AND YOU’RE RELYING ON
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO
MIGHT BE WITNESSES, THEY’RE
GOING TO BE RELUCTANT TO COME
FORWARD NOW THAT YOU MAKE IT
MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET
PROTECTION.
PROTECTION. IT’S LESS LIKELY THEY’LL COME
FORWARD.
FORWARD. AND WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH
TRAFFICKING, TIME IS OF THE
ESSENCE.
ESSENCE. THESE PEOPLE CAN BE SHIFTED
AROUND TO OTHER PLACES.
AND THE IRONY OF ALL THIS IS
DONALD TRUMP HAS TRIED TO SAY
THAT FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
IS ONE OF HIS HIGHEST
PRIORITIES, AND YET HIS
SECRETARY OF LABOR SEEM TO BE
TAKING STEPS GOING IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
OPPOSITE DIRECTION. >> AND SPEAKING OF ACOSTA, THE
PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO DISTANCE
HIMSELF FROM JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
>> DO YOU THINK JEFFREY EPSTEIN
IS A TERRIFIC GUY?
>> I KNEW HIM IN PALM BEACH LIKE
THE PEOPLE IN PALM BEACH KNEW
HIM.
HIM. HE WAS A FIXTURE IN PALM BEACH.
I HAD A FALLING OUT A LONG TIME
AGO.
AGO. I DON’T THINK I’VE SPOKEN TO HIM
FOR 15 YEARS.
I WAS NOT A FAN.
A LONG TIME AGO, I WOULD SAY
MAYBE 15 YEARS.
I WAS NOT A FAN OF HIS, THAT I
CAN TELL YOU.
I WAS NOT A FAN OF HIS.
>> SO THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE’S
NOT A FAN OF EPSTEIN’S, THEY HAD
A FALLING OUT A LONG TIME AGO.
DOES THAT HOLD UP, BOB?
>> THE PRESIDENT KNEW HIM IN
PALM BEACH, LIKE HE SAID.
THERE WAS SOME KIND OF BUSINESS
DEALING THAT CREATED A FALLOUT
SITUATION ABOUT A DECADE AGO.
I’VE SPOKEN TO SAM NUNBERG, A
FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER
WHO SAID HE WAS ASKED BY EPSTEIN
AND HIS ADVISERS AND HE SAID,
OH, THAT RELATIONSHIP HAS FALLEN
APART.
APART. IT DOESN’T CHANGE THAT THEY HAD
A RELATIONSHIP IN THE MID-’90s,
THE LATE ’90s AND THEY WERE
FIXTURES IN PALM BEACH.
>> HE HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
>> THE NEXT CASE IS THE BAIL
HEARING WITH THE JUDGE, AND
THAT’S HAPPENING JULY 15.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY MADE
CLEAR THEY’RE SEEKING DETENTION
PRE-TRIAL.
PRE-TRIAL. THE DEFENSE HAS SAID THEY’RE
GOING TO FIGHT THAT.
THEY’VE EXPLAINED THEIR REASONS
FOR SEEKING DETENTION INCLUDING
HIS EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL
CONTACTS, HIS U.S. CONTACTS, HIS
MEANS TO BE ABLE TO FLEE SHOULD
HE SO CHOOSE, AND THEY ALSO
TALKED ABOUT EVIDENCE OF
ATTEMPTS TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE IN
THE PAST AND A CONCERN THAT HE
MIGHT DO SO, TRY TO INTIMIDATE
WITNESSES WERE HE TO REMAIN OUT
OF CUSTODY.
OF CUSTODY. SO THE NEXT BIG THING WILL BE
THAT BAIL HEARING ON JULY 15th,
BECAUSE ONE OF THE FACTORS THE
COURT WILL CONSIDER IS ALSO THE
STRENGTH OF THE GOVERNMENT’S
EVIDENCE.
EVIDENCE. WE’RE GOING TO HEAR MORE FROM
THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THAT
EVIDENCE, INCLUDING THE
CORROBORATING EVIDENCE OF THE
VICTIM’S TESTIMONYS
VICTIM’S TESTIMONYS VICTIMS’ TESTIMONY.
VICTIMS’ TESTIMONY. I’M SURE WE’LL HEAR MORE ABOUT
THOSE NUDE OR PARTIALLY NUDE
PHOTOGRAPHS AT HIS RESIDENCE