Pelosi: Acosta must step down.

[mobeau69]

Link to tweet

[True Blue American]

1. Those who voted for him knew that, too!

I am beginning to understand why Lindsey Graham did such an about face. Wonder what they have on him?

[ehrnst]

2. Good. We need to keep Epstein's connections with this administration front and center.(nt)

[Beringia]

3. The responses to her are damning of her

[ehrnst]

20. Good thing she has a thick skin, unlike others in Congress, Else she'd be in twitter wars with

of them all day instead of doing her job.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

4. Her son and Ivanka in a photo together?

I'm at a loss

[shanti]

36. Huh?

What are you referring to?

[watoos]

5. This is what I am talking about

This is what Democrats should be doing. I will praise them to high heaven when they speak out.

Now, I saw that Ted Lieu tweeted about Acosta resigning, we need every darn Democrat screaming for Acosta to resign. Where is the majority leader Steny Hoyer?

Democrats need to push this because it will force Republicans to defend a pedophile protector. C'mon Democrats, follow Pelosi's and Lieu's lead, I can't hear you.

[Bettie]

8. You are right

put the pressure on.

Time to call my two whack-job republican senators and ask their staffers oh-so-innocently why they condone protection of pedophiles and how, exactly that serves our nation..

[Bettie]

11. In a shocking turn of events

I actually spoke to a staffer in Grassley's office...first time ever for the DC office. Weird.

[Alpeduez21]

6. Maybe she can not impeach him, too

Right up her alley to talk big but not be brave enough to act in the interest of America. She puts party before country. Just the other side of the coin to me.

[watoos]

7. Now is the time that talk matters,

Democrats need to be talking in a unified voice to keep Acosta on the front page. Force Republicans to defend a pedophile protector.

I would like to see AOC and her 3 amigos get on board with Pelosi on this.

Anyone see Steny Hoyer?

[MrsCoffee]

9. What a ludicrous thing to say.

So sick of ignorant comments directed toward strong women.

[LanternWaste]

18. I'd dismiss and trivialize her too.. if I lacked anything of substance to offer.

Chocolate coins with a thin, gilded veneer of tin often look real when viewed from a distance.

[ehrnst]

22. Are you sure you're on the right board?

[George II]

29. So what are YOU doing about it?

[moreland01]

10. Her very next tweet should have been . .

since "This was known by @POTUS when he appointed him to the cabinet.", then he too should #TrumpResign.

[Autumn]

12. This was well known before he was appointed and before six Dems voted to confirm him. nt

[Celerity]

19. 9 voted to confirm (counting King)

https://thinkprogress.org/acosta-confirmed-labor-secretary-53694f7ab57/

Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
Heidi Heitkamp (ND) gone
Joe Manchin (WV)
Claire McCaskill (MO) gone
Bob Menendez (NJ)
Bill Nelson (FL) gone
Jon Tester (MT)
Mark Warner (VA)
Angus King (ME) Independent


Republicans — and some Dems — stand by Acosta amid Jeffrey Epstein charges

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/08/alexander-acosta-jeffrey-epstein-1402230

snip

“If he made a mistake or a judgment call or something like that, does that affect the way he’s doing his job now? I’m going to basically judge him on what job he’s doing and how he’s doing it,” said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who voted to confirm Acosta. As far as calls to resign, he said: “I’m not getting into that feeding frenzy.”

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), the chairman of the party’s campaign arm, said she would need to see an internal report from the Justice Department before she could answer whether she regrets supporting him. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said he wasn’t aware of Acosta’s involvement with Epstein and doesn’t “have any thoughts about it.”

snip

But among the six Democratic Caucus members and dozens of Republicans who supported Acosta’s confirmation in 2017 and are still in the Senate, there was no such call. Some said they were concerned about the new charges about Epstein and were following the case closely, but others said Acosta’s handling of the case doesn’t preclude him from doing a good job as Labor secretary.

“I’ve got concerns about every nominee that I’ve ever voted for in administration, with a couple of exceptions,” said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). “I have to get more information on it.”

snip

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who voted for Acosta, said he was “very concerned” and that the Labor secretary should have been “more forthcoming” during his confirmation hearing in 2017.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she did not understand why the victims of Epstein’s abuse were not notified of the agreement negotiated by Acosta in 2008 — as required by federal law — and she urged the Office of Professional Responsibility to “immediately” look into its circumstances.

snip

[Autumn]

21. I had forgot about Tester and Menendez.

It's disgusting that they still stand with him.

[Celerity]

28. every Senator, no matter what party, knew he was dirty, the Miami Herald exposed him nationally

before the vote for confirmation.

Trump labor nominee talked tough on sex crimes but gave billionaire a ‘sweetheart’ deal


https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article136073328.html

By Jay Weaver and Patricia Mazzei

[e-mail]

MARCH 03, 2017 07:00 AM, UPDATED MARCH 03, 2017 09:31 PM

A decade ago, a Miami Beach father who traveled to Cambodia to pay for sex with three underage girls was found guilty in federal court and convicted of sex tourism involving children. Kent Frank, 50, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Miami’s U.S. attorney at the time, Alex Acosta, declared in a news release that society “cannot permit such individuals to seek sanctuary in our community.” “We will prosecute sexual abuse of children aggressively, both when the targets are children in our community and when the defendants travel to target children abroad,” he vowed.

But Acosta, now President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of labor, made a very different call in another, far more sordid case just months later. The agreement Acosta approved for Palm Beach billionaire Jeffrey Epstein — a “sweetheart plea deal,” according to attorneys for Epstein’s victims — could come back to haunt his Senate confirmation hearing if any senators question Acosta’s judgment in one of the most high-profile cases of his career. Using his private staff to coordinate the illicit sexual activity, Epstein had paid dozens of girls cash to engage in nude massages, masturbation, oral sex and intercourse in his palatial mansions in Palm Beach, New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands between 1999 and 2005.

Epstein, then 55 and defended by an all-star legal team, pleaded guilty to a state charge of soliciting minors for prostitution. He registered as a sex offender in Florida and agreed to pay damages to 40 female victims ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old. As part of the plea agreement negotiated by Acosta’s office, Epstein wouldn’t be charged in federal court — even though the feds had drawn up a proposed 53-page indictment that carried potential punishment ranging from a mandatory 10 years in prison up to a life sentence. Epstein ended up serving just over a year in a Palm Beach County Stockade — while local authorities allowed him during his incarceration to go to work or do whatever he wanted for six days out of every week.

Acosta’s “non-prosecution agreement” — initially kept secret from Epstein’s victims — was signed by the billionaire and his lawyers in September 2007 and amended through the end of that year. The deal also immunized several of his co-conspirators from federal prosecution, a rare bonus. “Clearly, Epstein received preferential treatment due to his wealth, race and political connections,” said Miami attorney Joel DeFabio, who — citing the Epstein case — tried unsuccessfully to obtain similar treatment for two clients accused of running prostitution rings involving minor girls.

“The charges against Epstein were outrageous, and the evidence was more than enough to obtain a conviction at trial. The fact that Epstein’s wealth enabled him to hire a stellar legal team should not be a valid reason for such a gross disparity in treatment,” DeFabio said. “This matter should be explored by the [Senate] confirmation committee to ensure that Acosta will be committed to equal treatment under the law of all Americans and that he will never give preferential treatment to the wealthy and politically connected.”


snip

[questionseverything]

40. he needs to be prosecuted, resignation isnt enough

[shanti]

37. Which ones voted for him? n/t

[Autumn]

38. There were 9 counting King. I can always count on Celerity to be on top of it.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212258808#post19

[TryLogic]

13. Where Acosta came from...

Wikipedia: "Following law school, Acosta served as a law clerk to Samuel Alito, then a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, from 1994 to 1995."

Alito, the justice who thinks that free speech means money in any amount from anyone to influence our elections is acceptable. (Citizen's United)

It began with George W. "Acosta served in four presidentially appointed, U.S. Senate-confirmed positions in the George W. Bush Administration." -- Wikipedia

And, George W. is the one who nominated Alito.

Elections matter.

[jberryhill]

14. Acosta to Pelosi: "No, thanks"

Next?

[ehrnst]

24. You're on a tear this am. Do you need some coffee?

[Trenzalore]

15. Haul his ass to the House and make him testify

Calling for resignation over Twitter? Bring him down and make him explain himself.

[jberryhill]

16. Oh, she would never do that

That would be something within the actual power of the relevant House committees.

It is much simpler to Tweet a request for him to resign, since there is no responsibility involved.

Gotta keep that powder dry.

[ehrnst]

23. Armchair quarterbacks always know that they could TOTALLY win the Superbowl

instead of that damn coach who got hired.



But I'll bite - which relevant committees are you referring to?

Which one applies? In what way could they force DT to fire him? Can you tell me what committee has forced the resignation of any of the previous Trump cabinet members who are now gone? Were any of them forced out due to actions they had taken prior to taking office?

And what do you think the Senate will do when the recommendation for the impeachment of any cabinet member of Trump's goes to them from Congress?

Certainly when you're not down on the actual field, you see how things should be done much more clearly.

Show us.

[Trenzalore]

30. You put him in front of cameras and ask questions

Pretty simple.

[ehrnst]

31. Can't answer?

Just like the armchair quarterback says, "It's simple!!! Just catch the ball and run down the field until you get to the goal!"

Thought so.

[Trenzalore]

32. I did answer

The goal is not to start an impeachment hearing. The goal is to publicly castigate him on video for the news to pick up. If he resigns great! If not you have a cabinet secretary trying to explain why he let a pedophile sex traffic off on camera with Trump standing behind him.

That is your "political" solution.

[ehrnst]

33. Nothing like resorting to attacking a strawman when one gets called out...

That is your "political" solution.

With a bit of a false dillema thrown in for extra crunch - a TWOFER!

[Trenzalore]

34. Lol

Seriously you are a riot.

[ehrnst]

35. Lol

See what I did there?

Called you out again.

[ehrnst]

27. You mean like they did Hope Hicks?

What do you think that the Senate will decide if Congress decides to impeach him?

Do you recall testifying before a congressional committee being the reason any Trump cabinet member resigned?

Hint: It was investigations done by journalists, and revelations by aides of shit they had pulled while in office.

Please. If Pelosi hadn't been demanding his resignation, people would be complaining that she needed to be out there DEMANDING his RESIGNATION!!!!

[UTUSN]

17. K&R

[spanone]

26. Chuck Schumer just echoed Speaker Pelosi on the Senate floor.