Lead U.S. prosecutor in '08 Epstein case -- who sources say wanted to charge him -- resigns

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: Miami Herald

A. Marie Villafaña, the lead federal prosecutor who helped negotiate a controversial plea deal for accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has submitted her resignation to the Justice Department, the Miami Herald has learned.

Her departure comes amid a federal probe into the role she and other federal prosecutors, including her former boss, Alexander Acosta, had in sidelining a 53-page indictment against the wealthy New York investor in favor of a state plea to minor prostitution charges in 2008. Epstein, 66, was accused of molesting dozens of underage girls, most of them 14 to 16 years old, at his Palm Beach mansion more than a decade ago. He is now facing federal sex trafficking charges involving minors brought against him last month by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.

The Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility is examining whether Acosta, who resigned his cabinet post as secretary of labor last month — and other U.S. prosecutors involved in the 2007-2008 case — committed misconduct in negotiating the secret pact with Epstein. A federal judge in February ruled that the prior deal was illegally negotiated because Epstein and federal prosecutors concealed it from his victims in violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.

The Herald has learned that several people involved in the Epstein case have been questioned by the Justice Department in recent weeks as part of its ongoing OPR investigation.

Read more: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article233668342.html

[Maxheader]

1. If she has already spent the $$$

that bought her off...good..

[Leghorn21]

2. Ohhhhhhhhhhh

See, I just knew that Acosta fucker didn’t pull this off all by himself!!!

So hey Ms. Villafaña,

*DO TELL*

NOT KIDDING

YOU FUCKED UP BAD

[MyOwnPeace]

3. To my mind, there's this..............

it's the "Justice Department" that is examining the whole involvement of the Miami group.

The head of the "Justice Department" is "you-know-who."

Is it wrong to NOT expect the "Justice Department" to provide "justice" to any of this?

[stillcool]

4. I don't think there is any...

government agency that is not polluted with idiots, and rotting from the inside out. They take care of their own, and that's that.

[Ramsey Barner]

5. Give her some credit for trying:

Recently released documents revealed that Villafaña strenuously objected to Epstein’s work release, and wrote a letter to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office in December 2008 pointing out that the crimes he committed were not accurately reflected in his work release paperwork and that those records contained “omissions” that should have disqualified him for the program.

[B Stieg]

6. Rats...sinking ship???

Acosta was paid off. It shouldn't be that hard to find the money.

[Farmer-Rick]

7. I find this article to be a bit misleading

She didn't object to the plea deal. She helped negotiate it. She merely objected to his work release.

A little too little, too late