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Fittuy Ricu Once again, Chief Reiter was outraged. So much so that he took the extraordinary step of calling the FBI and the federal prosecutor’s office. At the time, the federal prosecutor of the Southern District of Florida was a Republican named R. Alexander Acosta. Chief Reiter recalls being present at Acosta’s swearing-in ceremony CHAPTER 48 : and remembers Acosta’s declaration that one of his goals would | be the prosecution, to the fullest extent of the law, of anyone who takes advantage of the weak—especially perpetrators of sex crimes. Disgusted with Krischer’s laissez-faire attitude, Reiter recalls thinking he’d found his man. In Acosta, the chief saw a prosecutor who wouldn't shy away from confronting a man with Jeffrey Epstein’s resources and connections. But it turned out that Acosta had worked under Ken Starr at ry reached a verdict that floored Starr’s high-powered multinational law firm, Kirkland & Ellis. And while Acosta had a sterling résumé, which included a stint leal that Krischer had offered to clerking for future Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito, he had Now the grand jury was recom- 3 only argued two cases before a judge. zed with just one felony count of q At the time, Reiter did not know this. All he knew was that some- one had to look much more seriously into Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. of underage girls. The original 7 s of unlawful sex acts with minors 7 snd SASthRtaUe molestation —had ’ Reiter’s actions did not necessarily make him a hero—at least, ; hot in every corner of the community he served. stein to prison. j _ ‘Thad individuals suggest that the department's approach to ‘render on a Sunday, when no one gned. A few hours later, he was” llars bail. yt even notified. "the Investigation and my referral of the investigation to the FBI / Was more horsepower than the investigation deserved. And I had other individuals suggest that—yeah, the term ‘back off Probably fits,” Reiter said in his deposition for B.B. vs. Epstein. 183 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_010524