I’m Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald investigative reporter and author of PERVERSION OF JUSTICE: The Jeffrey Epstein Story. My book is filled with little known details and many added dimensions to the Epstein case. Ask me anything!

Epstein’s lawyer, Darren Indyke, knows where all the bodies are buried, and his financial backer, Leslie Wexner (of Victoria’s Secret fame), provided Epstein with the money necessary for him to perform his corruption, pedophelia, and blackmailing of powerful figures, both domestic and foreign. Why are these two, specifically, still at large, and is the FBI zeroing in on them, do you believe, like they did Ghislaine Maxwell?

I know that authorities in the USVI are looking at Indyke; I hope they are looking at everyone in Epstein's orbit...he did not do this alone.

In your professionally researched and educated opinion, do you personally believe Epstein committed suicide or that he was somehow murdered in his cell? Why do you believe that, and, if you're comfortable answering this next question, do you have any direct evidence to support that opinion?

Does anyone believe JE committed suicide? I just don't think a man who believed he was above the law, beat the system before & used butlers to tie his shoelaces could have broken three bones in his neck all by himself. While I don't have the "evidence" in a folder others do, including noted forensic pathologic Dr. Michael Baden, who was present at the autopsy. (Google his evidence).

I read your book last weekend when I had to fly out to testify against my dad who trafficked me and is a police informant. I so admire and appreciate your work. Do you have any advice for writing a book proposal for a memoir about child trafficking? Do you have any advice for staying safe?

I really admire your courage! My advice would be to just be yourself, be honest. That will come across to readers and be powerful.

Do you think he has videotaped evidence of well-known people having sex with underage victims?

Not anymore. He's dead. But do I think he did? Yes!

Are there any non-corruption explanations for the infamous agreement to not prosecute his co-conspirators? I don't understand why people don't focus on this aspect of the case more. It seems like an obvious smoking gun. Why aren't the people who engineered that deal being investigated?

It should be investigated...the DOJ probe into the prosecutors raises more questions about corruption -- and there are too many missing pieces...like say, Acosta's emails during this time period disappeared?? How and why did that happen?

One prosecutor dated one of Epstein's defense attorneys; another prosecutor in the Miami office went to work for Epstein; most of the MEN involved in the prosecutors office landed nice cushy jobs...the list goes on...

Were you worried about your safety writing about someone so powerful?

Yes. My videographer, Emily Michot, was more so than I, which was good, because when we stayed in hotels she made me put furniture in front of the door! Lol

What will it take for powerful leaders to actually face real and lasting consequences? Names from BOTH black books have been revealed, and literally ZERO has happened.

An entire reform of our criminal justice system. I think there are a lot of good people trying to reform the inequalities and unfairness of our system. I'm hopeful that authorities are looking at everyone involved in the Epstein saga.

Have any laws in Florida or at the federal level changed because of your investigations?

I covered Florida prisons and there were many changes as a result of my investigations...the mentally ill and women are treated better; I think there is more accountability, especially with abuse of inmates. As for Epstein, there is a new federal law proposed that would put more teeth into the Crime Victims Rights Act, giving penalties to prosecutors who shut victims out of the criminal justice process (See "Courtney Wild" Crime Victims Rights Act)

You’ve talked a little bit about how you have gone into debt putting your expenses on your own personal credit card while doing investigative stories. More and more news outlets are unionizing and challenging management due to low pay, especially. Can you talk a little bit about how the business side of reporting has changed in your career and what you think needs to change to make reporting a viable, well-paying profession again?

If I had the solution to making newspapers a more viable business, I would be rich! Plenty of folks are working on it, I keep praying someone smarter than me will finally figure it out!

Do you believe that Epstein was an agent for a foreign government,and if yes, what evidence can you provide to back it up?

one thing I learned about this story and that is nothing would surprise me...but I've seen no evidence of that. Personally, I believe he was so full of himself that he wanted people to believe he was more important and more connected than he actually was...

I bought your book and every chapter leaves me shaking my head.

My ? why are they dragging their feet so much with Ghislaine Maxwell?

I do not think they are dragging their feet at all. If anything, they are being methodical...they want to do this case the right way -- unlike the way they handled JE's case in 2007. It takes a long time to build a case like this, for many reasons. Hell, it took me almost three years to write my three-part series on the case!

Do you believe additional evidence will come forth on other high profile 'friends' of JE? For instance like how a photo links Prince Andrew to the underage girl. Can you foresee anyone besides GM being charged or leaked?

I believe other people involved should be investigated and possibly charged. Epstein had a whole ecosystem around him who helped. I do not think all the people listed in his black book or on his plane logs were involved. But authorities should be looking at every connection.

Did they raid his properties to obtain information or destroy it?

That's an interesting question. It seems to me they took too long to raid the island. My investigation shows that the delay enabled his employees to pull all the cameras and other evidence....I've always wondered why it took so long. But I'm not a conspiracy theorist, so I don't think the feds wanted to destroy it. And, they did get a lot of evidence during the raid on his NYC home.

What are your best research strategies? What are you most proud of, in terms of putting pieces together most wouldn't have been able to?

I think a lot of researchers think they can get most of what they need on the internet. But there is no substitute for good old-fashioned knocking on doors, and going to courthouses to search through archives. It's becoming a lost journalistic practice.

Julie, who was paying Jeffrey Epstein? Especially back in the 90's?

The real question to ask is who was JE helping?

Ok.

Who was JE helping back in the 90s?

Les Wexner, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barack, Leon Black, Harvard University scientists -- all the names that have been out there. They of course claim, they didn't know about his sex trafficking.

Thank you for your amazing work!

Do you have any expectations for Ghislaine Maxwell's trials?

GM is taking a page out of the Epstein defense playbook: hiring the best defense money can buy, hiring a PR machine (through her family) and burying federal prosecutors in reams of motions in an effort to wear them down so they strike a deal. I do not believe prosecutors, this time, however, will give up.

Do you laugh at all of the conspiracy theories that random people start/believe/repeat? Do you try to correct them?

I gave up a long time trying to correct conspiracy theorists. It's a waste of my time. Would rather focus on moving the story forward instead of backwards/

You've said listening to Bruce helped detach from your JE work - anything songs or albums in particular? "Darkness" is my favorite album, but "Born in the USA" is the one that takes me away from it all. What was your experience?

So many! I always loved the song "The River" and of course I love love "Jersey Girl" -- every time he sings "I'm goin to take that ride to the Jersey side,'' it gives me goosebumps because I always spent summers at the Jersey shore so it brings back happy memories. He is a true storyteller and writer and helped me through a lot of struggles during my life.

I ask this respectfully and as a genuine question: what makes you different from the other conspiracy theorists who are writing books on this case? What makes your findings more accurate and verifiable than others that have fallen apart under questioning?

Thank you in advance!

I doubt the conspiracy theorists have read the approx 10,000 pages of public records and court docs associated with this case.

Have you received any good leads or tips as a result of publishing the book?

Yes!

What are the chances if any he was a spy, or working with intelligence agencies? How do you think reading your book would change the average person's viewpoint on Epstein?

There is so much we don't know about Epstein and I fear that was by design on the part of authorities. I hope people will come away from the book mad as hell that our criminal system is so broken and they do everything possible to change it! Vote, run for office, resist!

What real evidence is there that Epstein actually killed himself, and why is the answer none?

One of the reasons people do NOT think Epstein killed himself is because authorities haven't released the evidence! So I have no idea what evidence they have...hopefully the justice department continues to investigate how he died.

did you get death threats or scare tactics used against you?

Scare tactics, plenty -- especially threats of lawsuits...death threats, no, thankfully.

Is 'follow the money' a good rule of thumb for an investigation? How does one do that from a distance?

Follow the money is a good start...but you also have to follow other evidence.

Can you look into your “crystal ball” and tell us what you currently think the likeliest outcomes might be from Ghislaine’s trial?

It's hard to say. Like everything else connected to this case, everything is pretty hushed up.

What do you think about the podcast True Anon that has spent a ton of time detailing and updating the story(among other things) in podcast form?

Unfortunately, I have not listened to that podcast. In my free time, I like to avoid anything to do with Epstein. I watch HGTV and Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins! I have to escape the Epstein darkness sometimes!

Did you look into his Steam account and what games he played, and with whom?

No but journalists smarter then me got into his Spotify playlists...I detail this in my book. As you could imagine, he had any song involving having a twisted sex lyric.

Have you read Kirby Sommers’ unauthorized biography on Ghislaine Maxwell, and, if so, could you please give your two cent’s worth on it?

I have not read it.

Is there much to the connection with Donald Barr and the launching of Epstein's financial career?

The better question is did WILLIAM Barr know Jeffrey Epstein?

How big of a pervert was he ? Is it real or overblown?

It is beyond perversion to prey on children.

There seems to be several connections with Epstein and people in Donald Trump’s orbit including Alexander Acosta (who Trump appointed as Secretary Labor). I think Acosta took money on the side to make that deal for Epstein when he was first charged. And Acosta is largely responsible for letting Epstein go. Why hasn’t society punished Trump or Acosta helping Epstein?

The truth always comes out, maybe not in my lifetime or yours, but it eventually does. When that happens, history will remember people differently.

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No. (See above answer).