Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown recounts her investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's underage sex trafficking operation and her reporting for the Miami Herald that led to his arrest. For years, billionaire Epstein's involvement with teenage girls was an open secret in Palm Beach, Florida and Manhattan's Upper East Side. After being charged in 2008 with soliciting prostitution from minors, he received unusual leniency and a non-prosecution agreement. When Alexander Acosta, the U.S. Attorney who approved the deal, was appointed Labor Secretary by President Trump in 2017, Brown began investigating. Despite initial skepticism from her editor, Brown tracked down dozens of Epstein's victims by reviewing thousands of redacted court documents and traveling across the country. Her three-part Miami Herald series revealed how Epstein operated a global sex trafficking pyramid scheme, targeting vulnerable teenagers and recruiting them as accomplices. The reporting prompted Epstein's arrest, Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest, and Acosta's resignation. Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail cell. The book traces Epstein's rise from college dropout to successful financier whose associates included Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, and Bill Clinton, demonstrating the impact of investigative journalism and local reporting.