The House Oversight Committee made headlines on Friday by releasing a trove of documents linked to the controversial affairs of the late Jeffrey Epstein. Among these was the transcript of a prior interview with Alex Acosta, who served as Labor Secretary under President Trump during his initial term.

Acosta’s past role as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida came under fire, leading to his resignation in 2019. This scrutiny stemmed from his role in crafting Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, which controversially resulted in Epstein serving a mere 13 months for two state prostitution charges. This deal drew ire as it emerged that over a dozen victims had come forward, accusing Epstein of operating an international sex trafficking network that exploited girls as young as 14.

In his September testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Acosta remained steadfast in his rationale for not pursuing a prosecution against Epstein. He argued that the legal action taken sent a clear message to society.

“A billionaire going to jail sends a strong signal to the community that this is not, not right, that this cannot happen,” Acosta stated, as revealed in the 172-page transcript made public on Friday.

Acosta also emphasized the significance of Epstein’s status as a registered sex offender, noting that it served as a global warning. “His registering as a sex offender puts the world on notice — whether the world listened or not we can put to one side, but it puts the world on notice that he was an offender and a sexual offender,” he remarked.

Still, House Democrats on Friday slammed him over the comments after the files’ Friday release.

“He continues to deny he gave Jeffrey Epstein a sweetheart deal, despite cutting the investigation short and granting Epstein a non-prosecution agreement, even though 30 victims had been identified at the time,” Sara Guerrero, spokesperson for Oversight Democrats said in a Friday release.

“Because of the deal Alex Acosta gave Epstein, he was able to continue assaulting and raping young women and girls for another decade. No matter how House Republicans try to spin this, Oversight Democrats will keep pushing for the truth,” she added. 

The committee on Friday also published letters from former Attorneys General Eric Holder and Merrick Garland, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, stating they had no knowledge related to the House investigation.

A plethora of files and documents associated with Epstein’s dealings have been released related to the oversight committee’s investigation. Notable figures, including Elon Musk and Prince Andrew have been named.

President Trump has also been named in the files, however, he’s stated that he severed ties with Epstein after he acted like a “creep” at his Mar-A-Lago resort.

Still, on Capitol HIll, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have banded together with the hopes of triggering the full release of the Justice Department’s files related to Epstein. 

The two are awaiting a final signature on a discharge petition that would force the federal government to release new documents. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) has said she will add her name to the petition after being sworn in, which would send it to the floor.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has delayed her swearing in amid the government shutdown but promised to promptly provide a ceremony for Grijalva once the lower chamber is brought back in session. 

When asked if he’s prolonging to stall her signature on the Epstein discharge petition, Johnson told reporters, “It has nothing to do with that at all.”

“We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” the House Speaker said in early October.