UPDATE 1-U.S. Justice Dept. conducting professional misconduct probe in Epstein case

A U.S. Justice Department office is investigating whether department attorneys committed professional misconduct in a criminal case involving a Florida multimillionaire accused of serial sex crimes, the department said in a letter to a senator released on Wednesday. The investigation comes after the Miami Herald published a report looking at U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's role in negotiating a non-prosecution agreement for multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein when Acosta was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

In a letter to Senator Ben Sasse, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd revealed that the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), a unit that looks into internal misconduct, "has now opened an investigation" into whether lawyers mishandled the Epstein settlement. "OPR will thoroughly investigate the allegations of misconduct that have been raised and, consistent with its practice, will share its results with you at the conclusion of its investigation as appropriate," Boyd added.

The letter does not mention Acosta by name. The Miami Herald reported that its investigation found that Acosta gave Epstein a preferential settlement that effectively shut down an FBI probe into Epstein's crimes. A Labor Department spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Writing by David Alexander; Editing by David Gregorio)