Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement after Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced his resignation:
“Secretary Acosta’s role in approving the extremely favorable deal for Jeffrey Epstein raises significant concerns about his failure to respect the rights of the victims, many of whom were children when they were assaulted. I urge President Trump to appoint a new Secretary of Labor who will bring credibility to the office and commit to protecting victims of human trafficking as well as women and children in the workplace."
On July 10, 2019, the Committee invited Secretary Acosta to testify at a public hearing on July 23, 2019. Rather than testify, Secretary Acosta chose to resign.
In addition, Chairman Cummings and Chairman Raskin joined Reps. Jackie Speier, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and Lois Frankel in requesting a briefing from the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Department of Justice, which has been investigating Acosta’s conduct as United States Attorney.
