subject line: media request: Mayorkas, Acosta

March 23, 2022

Hi John,
My drug overdose story is running soon, so just circling back on that.

Additionally, I noticed that Attorney General Morrisey has repeatedly called for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ resignation.

In 2018, the Miami Herald reported that when former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta was a US attorney in Florida, he personally worked on a "sweetheart deal" for sexual predator and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.  In a review of the billionaire’s case, the Herald reported how Acosta had made an agreement with Epstein to avoid major repercussions, even though a federal investigation had identified 36 underage victims. He served about 13 months before his release to probation in 2009.

Shortly after the Herald investigation was published, I asked Mr. Morrisey whether Acosta should step down. I had, and continue to receive, dozens of press releases from your office about human trafficking, so it seemed a relevant subject. In fact, as I'm sure you know, in calling for Mayorkas' resignation, he also pointed to sex trafficking.  

He told me to talk to the Labor Department.

I wasn't sure why I would ask the Labor Department whether its secretary should step down, but anyway, Secretary Acosta went on to announce his resignation July 2019, shortly after Jeffrey Epstein was indicted on new charges related to the sexual assault of minors.
You know the rest.

Since Mr. Morrisey is apparently agreeable to calling for the resignation of U.S. cabinet-level officials, does Mr. Morrisey believe Acosta's failure to protect minors from sex trafficking in the about a decade period between Epstein's release and death was less egregious than Mayorkas' immigration policy decisions?

If the attorney general's decision not to denounce Acosta but to denounce Mayorkas is not based on the nature of the actions of each official,  I can't come up with another rationale, unless perhaps Mr. Morrisey's stance is due to a different political environment.
 
Is the attorney general calling for Secretary Mayorkas' resignation because Mayorkas was nominated by President Biden, and not Secretary Acosta because he was nominated by President Trump?

If so, why is child sex trafficking less important to him when it occurs under a Republican administration?

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you,

--
Erin Beck, MPH