A well known investigative journalist says newly released government files show that the US Justice Department tracked her travel while she was reporting on financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The discovery has raised serious questions about press freedom and government conduct during Donald Trump’s first term as president.
Reporter Finds Her Own Travel Records in Epstein Files
Julie K. Brown, an investigative reporter at the Miami Herald, said she was stunned to find her personal flight itinerary included in a recent release of files tied to the FBI investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
Brown shared the discovery on X on Sunday. She said the documents included her American Airlines booking information from a July 2019 trip to Florida. The records were attached to a grand jury subpoena.
The trip took place during Trump’s first administration and about one month before Epstein was found dead at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
Brown Questions Why DOJ Was Tracking Her
Brown said the itinerary included her maiden name and confirmed that she had booked the flight herself.
“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?” she wrote. “Why was the DOJ monitoring me?”
Brown has been a central figure in uncovering Epstein’s history of abuse and the failures of law enforcement to hold him accountable.
Public Reaction Calls It a Major Scandal
Brown’s post quickly drew strong reactions from journalists and political commentators.
Iranian American writer Alireza Talakoubnejad called the revelation “a major scandal,” saying it went beyond whatever else might be found in the Epstein files.
Journalist Chris Bury asked why the Department of Justice was tracking a reporter who was covering the Epstein case.
Foreign policy reporter Laura Rozen described the situation as disturbing, while journalist Rebecca Lewis reacted with shock.
Ed Krassenstein wrote that the discovery showed “the cover up is real.”
Unanswered Questions About Government Conduct
The Justice Department has not publicly explained why Brown’s travel information appeared in files connected to the Epstein investigation.
The revelation has fueled renewed scrutiny of how the DOJ and FBI handled the Epstein case and whether journalists were improperly monitored while doing their work.
