Miami Connection
Brown's investigative work at the Miami Herald exposed a major sex trafficking case centered in Palm Beach, Florida, bringing national attention to vulnerabilities in the local and federal justice systems. Her reporting galvanized survivors to share their stories and become advocates, directly influencing Congress to pass landmark legislation requiring government transparency. Through her persistent local journalism, she established Miami Herald's investigative team as a national force in holding powerful interests accountable.
About
Julie Knipe Brown was born in 1961 and is an American investigative journalist who joined the Miami Herald around 2000 after working for the Philadelphia Daily News. She gained international recognition for her exhaustive 2018 series titled 'Perversion of Justice' that exposed Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation and led to his 2019 arrest. Brown tracked down nearly 100 women victimized by Epstein and her reporting prompted federal prosecutors to reopen the case, ultimately contributing to the passage of the 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act. She was also a member of the Miami Herald's 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning team that covered the Surfside condo collapse.