Alexander Acosta | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| 27th United States Secretary of Labor | |
| In office April 28, 2017 – July 19, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Patrick Pizzella |
| Preceded by | Tom Perez |
| Succeeded by | Eugene Scalia |
| Dean of the Florida International University College of Law | |
| In office July 1, 2009 – April 28, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Leonard Strickman |
| Succeeded by | Antony Page |
| United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | |
| In office June 11, 2005 – June 5, 2009 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Marcos Jiménez |
| Succeeded by | Wifredo A. Ferrer |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division | |
| In office August 22, 2003 – June 11, 2005 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Bradley Schlozman (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Wan J. Kim |
| Member of the National Labor Relations Board | |
| In office December 17, 2002 – August 21, 2003 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | William Cowen |
| Succeeded by | Ronald Meisburg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rene Alexander Acosta January 16, 1969 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jan Williams |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, JD) |
Rene Alexander Acosta (born January 16, 1969)[1] is an American attorney and politician, who served as the 27th United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019. President Donald Trump nominated Acosta to be Labor Secretary on February 16, 2017, and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 27, 2017.
A member of the Republican Party, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Labor Relations Board, and later served as the assistant attorney general for civil rights and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He is a former dean of Florida International University College of Law. He has twice been named on the ‘50 most important Hispanics’ list by Hispanic Business Magazine.
In 2007–2008, as U.S. attorney, Acosta approved a plea deal that allowed child-trafficking ring-leader Jeffrey Epstein to plead guilty to a single state charge of solicitation, in exchange for a federal non-prosecution agreement.[2] After Epstein's arrest in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges, Acosta faced renewed and harsher criticism for his role in the 2008 non-prosecution agreement, as well as criticism and calls for his resignation; he resigned on July 19 and was replaced by Eugene Scalia.
- ^ Weaver, Jay; Yanez, Luisa (May 28, 2009). "U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta to lead FIU's law school". The Miami Herald.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page).