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said. »RELATED: The Post’s complete President Trump coverage While Trump has recently distanced himself from Epstein, a 64-year-old financier, it wasn’t always that way. “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy,” Trump said of Epstein during a 2002 interview with New York magazine. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as | do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Attorney Spencer Kuvin, one of dozens of lawyers who successfully sued Epstein on behalf of roughly 30 women who claimed he lured them to his Palm Beach mansion for sexually-charged massages when they were as young as 14, said he always found the comment curious. “How would he know that?” he said of Trump’s acknowledgement of Epstein’s penchant for young women. The interview came nearly six years before Epstein’s secret sex life exploded into public view when the money manager pleaded guilty to Florida charges of procuring and soliciting a minor for prostitution. “Why would he make a joke like that?” the West Palm Beach attorney asked. Further, Kuvin and others say they can’t believe it is purely coincidental that former South Florida U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, who signed off on a non- prosecution agreement that kept Epstein from spending years behind bars, was tapped by Trump to be U.S. Labor Secretary. During his confirmation hearings in March, Acosta said it was “awful” that convicted sex offender Epstein was allowed to leave the Palm Beach County Jail to work during his 13-month jail sentence. But he insisted that without the involvement of his office, Epstein would have received far less punishment and his victims wouldn’t have recovered any money from him. As a result of the conviction, Epstein also is on Florida’s registered sex offender list. Scarola, who has represented several of Epstein’s victims in civil lawsuits, scoffed at Acosta’s claims. The evidence that Epstein sexually abused young girls was “overwhelming,” he said. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_022991