Julie K. Brown (born 1961), also known as Julie Knipe Brown, is an acclaimed American investigative journalist and non-fiction writer for the Miami Herald. She began her career covering local issues in Philadelphia and later Florida, focusing throughout on stories of injustice, corruption, the protection of vulnerable populations, and systemic failures in the justice system, centering on victims' rights and accountability for the elite. Before her Epstein reporting, she garnered acclaim for her 2014 series 'Cruel and Unusual,' which exposed abuse and corruption within the Florida prison system, documenting the mistreatment of mentally ill inmates and leading to significant reforms and the firing of corrupt officers. She gained international recognition for her groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 series 'Perversion of Justice,' which detailed how sex offender Jeffrey Epstein secured a lenient 2008 plea deal—arranged by then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta—despite allegations of abusing dozens of underage girls. The series exposed Epstein's broader sex trafficking network and enablers like Ghislaine Maxwell, highlighted the involvement of powerful figures and systemic failures, and reignited public and legal scrutiny, contributing to Acosta's resignation as U.S. Secretary of Labor, Epstein's 2019 federal charges, and broader investigations. As part of this series, she interviewed Recarey extensively. Brown's meticulous journalism has been instrumental in uncovering networks of influence and abuse, exemplifying the role of journalism in challenging impunity and contributing to policy discussions on sex trafficking. Her work has earned her widespread recognition, including two George Polk Awards for Justice Reporting, the Sidney Award, and the Hillman Prize. In 2021, she authored the book 'Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story.'