## FILTHY RICH

## CHAPTER 48

ry reached a verdict that floored leal that Krischer had offered to Now the grand jury was recom- ged with just one felony count of

of underage girls. The original s of unlawful sex acts with minors and lascivious molestation-had

stein to prison.
render on a Sunday, when no one
gned. A few hours later, he was
llars bail.

ot even notified.

Once again, Chief Reiter was outraged. So much so that he took the extraordinary step of calling the FBI and the federal prosecutor's office.

At the time, the federal prosecutor of the Southern District of Florida was a Republican named R. Alexander Acosta. Chief Reiter recalls being present at Acosta's swearing-in ceremony and remembers Acosta's declaration that one of his goals would be the prosecution, to the fullest extent of the law, of anyone who takes advantage of the weak-especially perpetrators of sex crimes. Disgusted with Krischer's laissez-faire attitude, Reiter recalls thinking he'd found his man.

In Acosta, the chief saw a prosecutor who wouldn't shy away from confronting a man with Jeffrey Epstein's resources and connections.

But it turned out that Acosta had worked under Ken Starr at Starr's high-powered multinational law firm, Kirkland & Ellis. And while Acosta had a sterling résumé, which included a stint clerking for future Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito, he had only argued two cases before a judge.

At the time, Reiter did not know this. All he knew was that some- one had to look much more seriously into Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.

Reiter's actions did not necessarily make him a hero—at least, not in every corner of the community he served.

"I had individuals suggest that the department's approach to the investigation and my referral of the investigation to the FBI was more horsepower than the investigation deserved. And I had other individuals suggest that-yeah, the term 'back off' probably fits," Reiter said in his deposition for B.B. vs. Epstein.

182

183

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009012
documents/HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009012.jpg
{"people":["jeffrey epstein","r. alexander acosta","kenneth starr","samuel alito"]}