Prosecutors contend epstein is an extreme flight risk citing his vast wealth and prior allegations of witness intimidation. there's new criticism over labor secretary alex acosta's explanation wednesday that as u.s. attorney he had no choice but to broker a secret plea deal with epstein during a florida case in 2008 because, if not, epstein would have walked 3 to free. during epstein's 2008 case says acosta is "completely wrong, arguing acosta could have pursued federal charges. if mr. acosta was truly concerned with the state 'his case and felt he had to rescue the matter he would have moved ...