Julie K. Brown
Investigative Reporter
Miami Herald
Miami Herald investigative reporter whose 2018 'Perversion of Justice' series is widely credited with reigniting public and law enforcement interest in the Epstein case. Tracked down dozens of victims. Her reporting is considered the catalyst for Epstein's 2019 federal arrest.
Biography
Julie K. Brown's investigation for the Miami Herald is widely regarded as the single most important piece of journalism in the Epstein case. Her "Perversion of Justice" series, published in November 2018, broke open a story that the American justice system had tried to bury for a decade.
Brown spent over a year tracking down and interviewing dozens of Epstein's victims, many of whom had never spoken publicly. She obtained thousands of pages of court documents, police reports, and communications. Her reporting documented not just the scope of Epstein's crimes but the systematic failures and apparent corruption in how the justice system handled the case — from the inadequate local prosecution to the secret federal plea deal.
The series detailed how the 2008 NPA was negotiated behind closed doors, how victims were kept in the dark about the deal, how Epstein was granted extraordinary work-release privileges during his minimal jail sentence, and how multiple institutions failed the victims at every turn. The reporting was exhaustive, meticulously sourced, and devastating in its findings.
The political and public reaction was immediate. Members of Congress called for investigations. The FBI reopened its inquiry. On July 6, 2019 — less than eight months after the series published — Epstein was arrested by FBI agents at Teterboro Airport on new federal sex trafficking charges in the Southern District of New York. Brown's reporting is directly credited as the catalyst.
Brown authored "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story," published in 2021, expanding on her reporting. She won numerous journalism awards and is credited with giving voice to victims who had been silenced for years.
Key Facts
- 'Perversion of Justice' series published November 2018
- Tracked down and interviewed dozens of Epstein victims
- Reporting directly credited as catalyst for Epstein's 2019 arrest
- Documented the secret 2008 NPA and systematic justice failures
- Won numerous journalism awards for Epstein investigation
- Authored 'Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story' (2021)
Connections
Jeffrey Epstein
Subject of her landmark investigation
Reporting exposed Acosta's role in the NPA
Brown's reporting vindicated Recarey's 2005 investigation
Interviewed Wild and other victims
Document Trail
- —'Perversion of Justice' series — Miami Herald (2018)
- —'Perversion of Justice' book (2021)
- —Obtained court documents and police reports used in reporting
- —Congressional correspondence citing Brown's investigation
Source: Media / Congressional Correspondence / Published Works
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