Epstein Pleaded Not Guilty to Sex Trafficking in New York; 2008 Plea Deal Shielded Epstein from Federal Prosecution; Epstein Becomes Focus in Israel's Election
ANDERSON: No apologies and no apparent regrets. Donald Trump's Labor Secretary is giving a strong defense of a plea agreement he helped secure for a sex offender years ago. A deal that now has some lawmakers demanding his resignation. Alex Acosta, a federal prosecutor at the time, says Jeffrey Epstein would have walked free if his offense hadn't stepped in. He says he believed a trial was risky, so he negotiated a deal that would put Epstein behind bars.</s>ACOSTA: A state grand jury brought that single completely unacceptable charge. A state official allowed Epstein to self-surrender. I wanted to help them. That is why we intervened. We did what we did because we wanted to see Epstein go to jail. He needed to go to jail.</s>ANDERSON: Right, well the former state prosecutor on the case firing back, rejecting Acosta's explanation, saying that he is trying to rewrite history. Well a judge has ruled that Acosta's office broke the law. Because it didn't inform Epstein's alleged victims before agreeing to what's known as a sweetheart deal. That's a plea deal. And really that's what the story's about, the girls, the young women who say Epstein sexual assaulted them in acts that will haunt them forever. While another accuser is now speaking out, accusing Epstein of raping her when she was just 15 years old. She said she started going to his Manhattan home when she was just 14.</s>JENNIFER ARAOZ, EPSTEIN ACCUSER: I would have just my underwear on, that's how he liked it, so -- and I would just get -- massage his back. And then he would potentially later on turn over and play with himself. And he would also like when I would play with his nipples. He got turned on by that. And then he would finish himself off, and then that would be the end of it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, NBC TODAY SHOW: Did you ever tell him your age?</s>ARAOZ: I told the recruiter, I mentioned it in front of him, yes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're 14 years old.</s>ARAOZ: Yes, he knew very well my age. He knew exactly, you know, who he was hanging out with, you know. I don't think he cared.</s>ANDERSON: Well, just days ago Epstein was charged in New York with six trafficking. He pleaded not guilty. Our next guest has extensively reported on Epstein. In a recent article, Vicky Ward said his, quote, sick story played out for years in plain sight. Vicky, thanks for joining us. Describe what that article said back in the day, in "Vanity Fair." And more importantly, the article that you wrote, what it didn't say and why?</s>VICKY WARD, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Yes. So, you know, back in 2002, the article actually appeared in 2003, I was tasked with trying to uncover the mystery of Jeffrey Epstein. Who was known to be a sort of Gatsby type figure. A reclusive figure who was very, very wealthy, but nobody understood why. You know, he lived in the largest private residence in New York. It was known that he had a very influential social circle. You know, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, top financiers, top academics, top</s>ANDERSON: This information didn't get into this article. Yes, and you say that's because the editor at the time decided that what, you didn't have the story? Or that what the story involved.</s>WARD: That's what he is now saying, but you know, I keep all my transcripts and you know, it's very clear that I have the women on the record. I have their mother on the record. And in fact, I have other people of good standing around them on the record. The issue is actually that Jeffrey Epstein came into the office to meet personally with the editor of the magazine, and the decision was taken after that one-on-one meeting. And you know, I think if you look, I mean, this fits a pattern, right? You've got Jeffrey Epstein who is known among influential New Yorkers. He is a known quantity. He may be mysterious, but he is a known quantity. And you have the women who are not. And that is the pattern that has played out again and again and again for two decades.</s>ANDERSON: For nearly two decades you say, and for nearly two decades you say in recent article for the "Daily Beast," for some nebulous reason. Whether to do with ties to foreign intelligence, his billions of dollars, or his social connections, your right, Epstein remained untouchable. I wonder who you really believe is to blame there? You have explained that by saying the outrage was just not there, it is not like sexual abuse of minors wasn't illegal back in the day. How do you feel about having known Epstein's story and actually for whatever reason, not flushing him out?</s>WARD: Well, I mean, this is what was so tricky, right? And it's -- this story was so painful and stayed with me. Because you know, once the women who talked to me, once they were cut from the piece, you know, my first question to them was, well what do you want to do? Like, we can't just drop this. Right? And their reaction was understandable. Which was, you know what, this is exactly what we thought would happen. That he would be believed over us. And what's the point of persevering. It was also very clear to me from my reporting that they weren't the only victims. That it was well known in Jeffrey Epstein's circle that he had a problem. He had a sickness. And the FBI, they then did open an investigation, but around 2005, 2006. And I was always, always it's been on my conscience that those missing years, right, why my story didn't contain what it should have contain. And Jeffrey Epstein then was free to go about molesting dozens and dozens and dozens. We know extraordinary numbers of young women.</s>ANDERSON: Which he alleges -- well he certainly spent 30 months in jail on what was a very reduced charge back in the day. Now pled not guilty, of course, to these current charges. Vicky, thank you for coming on. Vicky's article, back in the day, "The Talented Mr. Epstein" in "Vanity Fair." With that she is pointing out a number of details that might otherwise have flushed Jeffrey Epstein out earlier. This story is resonating around the world, not only because of the horrific nature of the Epstein's alleged crimes but also because of the high-profile company that he kept. CNN's Oren Liebermann explains how Epstein has become the focus of a heated campaign fight in Israel.</s>OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jeffrey Epstein is suddenly the biggest name in Israeli politics. The Jewish American multimillionaire charged with sex trafficking of minors, is the focus of a war of words and tweets between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, who has just re-entered politics. Netanyahu attacked his former commander for his connections to Epstein, accusing media of burying the story. Meet Jeffrey Epstein. Suspected of pedophilia and a rich past in sexual offenses. Epstein was head of the Wexner Foundation that gave Barak $2.3 million for a research program that never was and never came to be. What else did the sexual offender give Ehud Barak? Is the media going to wake up? A spokesperson said the Wexner Foundation severed ties with Epstein more than a decade ago, according to Forbes. On Israeli radio Tuesday, Barak said he's paid large amounts of money for research and consulting. Asked what work was about, Barak told the radio host to ask the Wexner Foundation. On Twitter Barak fired back saying, it hurts to here that people he knew had been caught up in criminal actions. First Netanyahu, then Epstein. Netanyahu faces his own criminal investigations with the Attorney General, announcing his intent to indict Netanyahu on bribery, and breach of trust charges pending in October hearing. Netanyahu has maintained his innocence. With two months to go until Israel goes back to the ballot box, Netanyahu's Likud party is pulling far ahead of Barak's Israel Democratic Party. But their back and forth is the biggest fight in an otherwise quiet campaign so far. In another Twitter attack, Barak questioned Netanyahu's connection to Arnaud Mimran. A French multimillionaire who's serving an 8-year jail sentence in a massive fraud case. Netanyahu has acknowledged he received $40,000 from Mimran when he was a private citizen, all of it legally, he insists.</s>EHUD BARAK, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In the state of Netanyahu, the crooked people get up and do things. You can bribe, cheat and violate trust. In Netanyahu land there is immunity. The leader is above the law.</s>LIEBERMANN (on camera): Netanyahu's Likud Party has demanded that Israel's Attorney General open a criminal investigation into the ties between Barak and as the statement puts it, the convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. The AG's office tells CNN, they have received the request and are dealing with it in the official manner. Meanwhile, in New York, Epstein had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.</s>ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I am Becky Anderson for you. Just ahead, from the world stage. Well it's not rule Britannia anymore. And it may be their closest ally showing them that. That story coming up after this.