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with the First Department — which would provide a more fulsome explanation of the District Attorney’s position — because those documents remained under seal. The prosecution of Epstein has remained in the news and was recently the subject of a wide-ranging investigation by the Miami Herald, which was published on November 28, 2018. Id. Ex. A. One of several in-depth feature articles published by the Miami Herald was entitled “Cops worked to put serial sex abuser in prison. Prosecutors worked to cut him a break.” Jd. In that article, the Miami Herald reported that investigators uncovered evidence that Epstein had abused “over 100 middle school and high school aged girls,” but “despite ample physical evidence and multiple witnesses corroborating the girls’ stories, federal prosecutors and Epstein’s lawyers quietly put together a remarkable deal for Epstein.” Jd. Epstein agreed to plead guilty to soliciting an underage prostitute “in state court, and in exchange, he and his accomplices received immunity from federal sex-trafficking charges that could have sent him to prison for life. Jd. More troubling still, Epstein’s case file was sealed — including a detailed criminal complaint — so that “no one . . . could know the full scope of Epstein’s crimes and who else was involved.” Jd. The Miami Herald’s reporting has also had serious political ramifications. As the Miami Herald has reported, “[t]he U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, was personally involved in the negotiations” back in and around 2008. Jd. Ex. C. Acosta subsequently became “a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet” and currently serves as the Secretary of Labor. Id. Since the Miami Herald published its expose, some members of Congress have demanded an investigation into what led to the slap-on-the-wrist punishment for Jeffrey Epstein. See, e.g., Anthony Man, Florida Democrats want investigation into Trump cabinet member’s role in handling Epstein case, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL (Dec. 4, 2018) available at 4811-3721-9459v.3 3930033-000039 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_016494