Upon his nomination by Trump as labor secretary in 2017, Acosta was questioned about the Epstein case during a Senate confirmation hearing.

“At the end of the day, based on the evidence, professionals within a prosecutor’s office decided that a plea that guarantees someone goes to jail, that guarantees he register [as a sex offender] generally and guarantees other outcomes, is a good thing,’’ Acosta said of his decision to not prosecute Epstein federally.

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in opposing Acosta for labor secretary, noted that “his handling of a case involving sex trafficking of underage girls when he was a U.S. attorney suggests he won’t put the interests of workers and everyday people ahead of the powerful and well-connected.’’

The vote was mostly along party lines, with all present Republicans voting in favor. But his confirmation to be Labor Secretary was also helped along by eight Democrats who voted in his favor: Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Joe Manchin (WV), Claire McCaskill (MO), Bob Menendez (NJ), Bill Nelson (FL), Jon Tester (MT), and Mark Warner (VA), as well as Independent Angus King (ME).