“Throughout his career, Alex Acosta has been a passionate advocate for equal opportunity for all Americans”, President Trump said in a statement.
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In the end, Acosta is appearing to be a stronger nominee.
Brad Schlozman, a deputy assistant attorney general, “improperly considered political and ideological affiliations” when he hired attorneys to work at the Civil Rights Division, according to a Justice Department inspector general report written in 2008. His confirmation would fix Trump’s Hispanic problem, by making him the first in his cabinet.
He is also an accomplished attorney.
Acosta, a graduate of Harvard Law School, clerked for Samuel Alito, one of the Supreme Court’s most conservative members, when Alito was an appeals court judge. Should Acosta be confirmed by the Senate, his appointment would remedy that complaint.
In late 2002, Acosta was appointed to the National Labor Relations Board by President George W. Bush, where he served until August 2003. Through this appointment, he became the first Hispanic American to hold the rank of Assistant Attorney General.
Bush then named Acosta as the USA attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where he prosecuted a number of high-profile cases, including the conviction of lobbyist Jack Abramoff for fraud.
Acosta served as federal prosecutor in Florida for almost a decade, departing in 2009 after prosecuting high-profile cases involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the Liberian torturer known as Chuckie Taylor and Colombian drug cartel members. Chairs of banks the size of U.S. Century Bank – that, is banks that have almost $1 billion in assets – earn a median annual retainer of $25,000, a per-meeting fee of $1,200 and equity compensation of $6,172, according to the 2016 Bank Director Compensation Report Survey.
Mr Acosta met with the President on Wednesday evening just a few hours after Mr Puzder chose to step down from the role, after allegations of domestic abuse resurfaced via an old Oprah Winfrey tape which was handed to the Senate committee. “They set a tone”, he told Congress.
He went on to provide a warning that remains pertinent. Abramoff pleaded guilty and served 43 months of a five-year, 10-month sentence. “Emotions remain charged, and the desire to blame remains high”, he said.
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But that doesn’t mean he’s a particularly good choice.
