Huh? Comer Tries to Clear Trump’s Name By Citing Ex-Trump Cabinet Member Who Cut Epstein’s Sweetheart Deal

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) accused Democrats of “pushing a false narrative about President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, but bizarrely cited Alex Acosta as proof of the president’s innocence – the same man who brokered the disgraced financier’s 2008 “sweetheart” deal.

The protest comes as lawmakers, in both parties, have criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for prolonging the shutdown recess to delay a discharge petition that might force a vote on the Epstein files release.

Trump, who previously called for the release of the Epstein files on the campaign trail, has since dismissed them as “a hoax,” telling supporters not to “waste time” on it. But curiosity around his past association with Epstein was renewed following the release of documents that included what appeared to be a birthday note to the disgraced financier, which Trump denied writing.

As the government shutdown has dragged on, top Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have accused House Republicans of trying to “protect the Epstein files.” Johnson called the claim “totally absurd.”

Comer on Tuesday then took the opportunity during a House GOP presser held by Johnson, the 21st day of the government shutdown, to fend off the attacks also, accusing Democrats of weaponising the case against Trump as a distraction from what he called “the Schumer shutdown.”

“Let’s be clear, Democrats don’t care about transparency or accountability in this matter,” Comer said, claiming “the evidence we’ve gathered does not implicate President Trump in any way.”

He argued that he and the House Oversight Committee were conducting a “thorough investigation” and had reviewed over 43,000 pages of documents.

The lawmaker continued: “We’ve conducted a deposition with former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and a transcribed interview with former U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta. I don’t think I need to remind anyone in here that they are both Republicans and both former cabinet secretaries in the Trump administration. And guess what? Those interviews completely debunked the Democrats’ smear against President Trump. Barr stated that there was no evidence that President Trump was involved in Epstein’s criminal activity. Acosta confirmed there was no contact with President Trump during the Florida case. No link, no conversations, nothing.”

Acosta was serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida in 2008 when he brokered the 2008 non-prosecution deal, widely criticised as a “sweetheart” arrangement, that let Epstein serve just 13 months for state-level prostitution crimes. He later worked in Trump’s first administration cabinet as Labor Secretary.

Just last month, FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Acosta had committed the “original sin” in the Epstein saga by choosing not to pursue federal charges against the financier.

“Democrats need to stop playing games and vote to reopen the government,” Comer concluded his remarks.

Watch above via CSPAN.