Miami Herald publishes 'Perversion of Justice' investigation
Reporter Julie K. Brown's groundbreaking investigation for the Miami Herald reignites public scrutiny of Epstein's 2008 plea deal and reveals the scope of his abuse network, leading directly to his 2019 federal arrest.
In November 2018, investigative reporter Julie K. Brown published a landmark series titled “Perversion of Justice” in the Miami Herald. The multi-part investigation detailed how Jeffrey Epstein had avoided federal charges in 2008 through a secret plea deal brokered by then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, and how dozens of victims were denied justice.
Brown tracked down roughly 80 women who said they were molested or sexually abused by Epstein as teenagers. The series documented how the original federal investigation had identified 36 underage victims, yet Epstein was allowed to plead guilty to minor state charges and serve just 13 months in a county jail with work release.
The investigation had an immediate and lasting impact. It prompted the FBI to reopen its inquiry, led to bipartisan calls for accountability, and ultimately resulted in new federal charges against Epstein in July 2019. It also spurred scrutiny of Alexander Acosta, who was then serving as Secretary of Labor in the Trump administration. Acosta resigned from the cabinet position in July 2019 as pressure mounted.
The series is widely credited as the single most important piece of journalism in the Epstein case, transforming what had been a largely forgotten story into a front-page national reckoning. Brown later expanded her reporting into the book “Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story.”