In a heart-stopping moment that flips the Epstein saga on its head, Julie K. Brown—the Miami Herald journalist whose fearless 2018 investigation single-handedly forced Jeffrey Epstein’s reckoning—opens the latest unsealed Trump-era DOJ files only to find her own personal American Airlines travel records from July 2019 staring back at her, subpoenaed by federal prosecutors just weeks before Epstein’s arrest. Complete with her maiden name and booking details, the records were tied to a grand jury probe, transforming Brown’s groundbreaking exposé into chilling evidence of targeted government monitoring of a reporter chasing elite secrets. Brown immediately cried foul, asking, “Why was the DOJ tracking me?” While officials claim it stemmed from tracing a victim’s travel—possibly one Brown helped—the discovery ignites fury over potential intimidation of the press. With more than a million pages still sealed, what other journalists or truth-seekers might have been quietly watched?
In a surprising development from the U.S. Department of Justice’s December 2025 release of Epstein-related documents, Miami Herald investigative journalist Julie K. Brown—the reporter whose 2018 series “Perversion of Justice” exposed Jeffrey Epstein’s lenient 2008 plea deal and helped revive federal scrutiny—discovered her own American Airlines flight booking records from July 2019 included in the files.
Brown raised the issue publicly on December 28, 2025, via X and her Substack, stating: “Does somebody at the DOJ want to tell me why my American Airlines booking information and flights in July 2019 are part of the Epstein files (attached to a grand jury subpoena)? As the flight itinerary includes my maiden name (and I did book this flight) why was the DOJ monitoring me?”
The records, tied to a February 2020 grand jury subpoena to American Airlines, detail commercial flights Brown booked around the time of Epstein’s July 6, 2019, arrest. While Brown anticipated references to her reporting in the files—given its role in prompting the Southern District of New York’s probe—she was unprepared for personal travel details, including her rarely used maiden name.
The discovery has ignited concerns about potential government surveillance of journalists during the Trump administration, when the Epstein investigation intensified. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee quickly demanded explanations, reposting Brown’s query and stating: “The Department of Justice needs to explain why travel information and booking itineraries for a journalist are in the Epstein files.” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) praised Brown as a “tireless truth-seeker” and called for DOJ accountability.
A DOJ official clarified to media outlets that the records were obtained through subpoenas for victim travel data during the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell probes. Investigators sought commercial airline records—distinct from Epstein’s private jet—to verify victim movements and timelines. In this case, Brown had booked the flight on behalf of accuser Annie Farmer (or possibly another victim), as detailed in her 2020 book Perversion of Justice. The airline’s response to the subpoena incidentally included Brown’s booking information.
Brown acknowledged arranging such travel for sources but emphasized the absence of prior notification and broader implications for press freedom. No evidence indicates targeted monitoring of Brown; it appears incidental to routine evidentiary collection.
This episode emerges amid criticism of the Epstein Files Transparency Act releases, signed by President Trump in November 2025. Initial batches on December 19 and 23 included thousands of documents and photos but faced backlash for redactions, lack of context, and non-searchable formats. The DOJ later revealed over a million additional documents uncovered, with phased releases planned into 2026.
Brown’s reporting not only contributed to Epstein’s 2019 charges (before his suicide) and Maxwell’s conviction but also prompted Alex Acosta’s resignation as Labor Secretary. As more files await disclosure, advocates for survivors and transparency urge full, unredacted releases to resolve lingering questions in this high-profile case involving elite connections.
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