OPR Summary: NPA 'Poor Judgment' Finding (2020)

DOJ OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY — NPA REVIEW The DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) conducted a review of the handling of the 2007 Non-Prosecution Agreement with Jeffrey Epstein. SCOPE OF REVIEW: - Conduct of former U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta - Conduct of other prosecutors in the S.D. Florida office - Compliance with DOJ policies and procedures - Treatment of crime victims - Adequacy of the NPA terms FINDINGS (as publicly reported): - Prosecutors exercised "poor judgment" in several respects - The CVRA violations were significant - However, the OPR declined to find professional misconduct - The review concluded that prosecutors genuinely believed the NPA was the best available outcome CRITICISMS OF THE REVIEW: - Victims' advocates called the findings insufficient - Questions about the delay in completing the review - Debate over whether "poor judgment" vs. "professional misconduct" was the appropriate finding - Congressional demands for the full unredacted report The full OPR report was released through the DOJ Epstein Library. Source: DOJ Epstein Library Available at: https://www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-disclosures