In a moment that sends chills through the journalism world, Julie K. Brown—the Miami Herald reporter whose fearless 2018 investigation shattered Jeffrey Epstein’s shield of impunity and sparked his downfall—opens the newly unsealed Trump-era DOJ files only to stare in disbelief at her own private American Airlines itineraries from July 2019, quietly collected by federal prosecutors just weeks before Epstein’s arrest. Complete with her maiden name and exact booking details tied to a grand jury subpoena, the records reveal the government was tracking the very journalist exposing elite secrets—right under her nose. Brown immediately sounded the alarm: “Why was the DOJ gathering my travel data?” While sources insist it was linked to victim flights she helped arrange, the discovery ignites outrage over possible intimidation of the press. With more than a million pages still locked away, how many other truth-tellers were secretly watched?
In a startling revelation that has sent ripples through the journalism community, Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown—the journalist whose 2018 series “Perversion of Justice” exposed Jeffrey Epstein’s lenient 2008 plea deal and helped revive federal scrutiny leading to his 2019 arrest—discovered her own personal American Airlines flight records from July 2019 embedded in the latest batch of unsealed Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
On December 28, 2025, Brown publicly highlighted the find on X and her Substack, posting: “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 arranged around the time of Epstein’s July 6, 2019, arrest in New York. While Brown anticipated mentions of her reporting in the files—given its pivotal role in pressuring the Southern District of New York to act—she expressed shock at seeing private travel details, including her rarely used maiden name.
The discovery has fueled concerns about potential government surveillance of journalists during the first Trump administration, when the Epstein probe intensified. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee swiftly demanded clarification, reposting Brown’s query and stating the DOJ must explain the inclusion of a journalist’s travel data. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) hailed Brown as a “tireless truth-seeker” exposing powerful interests.
A DOJ official clarified to media that the records resulted from subpoenas seeking victim travel information during the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigations. Prosecutors subpoenaed commercial airline data (separate from Epstein’s private jet logs) to verify victim movements and timelines. In this instance, Brown had booked the flight for accuser Annie Farmer—a fact detailed in Brown’s 2020 book Perversion of Justice. The airline’s response incidentally captured Brown’s booking details.
Brown acknowledged assisting with such arrangements for sources but stressed the lack of advance notice and implications for press freedom. No evidence suggests deliberate targeting of Brown; it appears incidental to standard evidentiary processes.
This incident arises amid broader scrutiny of the Epstein Files Transparency Act releases, signed by President Trump in November 2025. Initial tranches on December 19 and 23 included thousands of documents and photos but drew criticism for redactions and incomplete presentation. The DOJ has since identified over a million additional pages, with phased disclosures expected into 2026.
Brown’s work not only contributed to Epstein’s charges (prior to his suicide) and Maxwell’s conviction but also prompted Alex Acosta’s resignation over the 2008 deal. As more files await release, advocates emphasize the need for full transparency to address enduring questions in this case involving elite networks.
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