Even more damning is what followed. The man who gave Epstein his infamous sweetheart deal in 2008, allowing him to escape real prison time despite overwhelming evidence of child sexual exploitation, was Alex Acosta. Instead of being held accountable for protecting a predator, Acosta was later appointed by Trump to a cabinet position as Secretary of Labor. The same administration that claimed to stand for law and order elevated the official who shielded one of the most prolific abusers in modern history.