Julie K. Brown's "Perversion of Justice" series was the catalyst for the 2019 arrest. Here's how it unfolded:
**Nov 2018:** First part published
**Dec 2018:** Series continues, national attention grows
**Feb 2019:** DOJ opens review of 2008 agreement
**July 2019:** SDNY arrests JE at Teterboro
Brown spent 18 months investigating before publication. She found over 60 victims.
What's remarkable is how much of this information was technically public. The Miami Herald connected dots that had been sitting in court files for years.
The series won a Pulitzer. Well deserved.
Archived articles: [link]
I was a reporter when the Palm Beach story first broke. Some perspective:
**What we knew in 2006:**
- Local investigation ongoing
- FBI involvement rumored
- Very difficult to get sources on record
- Legal threats constant
**Why story didn't explode then:**
- Pre-social media era
- Local story, national outlets not interested
- Victim reluctance to speak publicly
- Legal pressure on media outlets
**What changed by 2018:**
- Social media amplification
- #MeToo context
- Julie Brown's persistence
- Victims more willing to speak
The facts were available in 2006. The conditions for them to matter changed.
It's worth remembering how this story was covered over time:
**2006-2008:**
- Local news only
- Few national outlets touched it
- Plea deal barely covered
**2010-2015:**
- Story essentially dead
- Occasional tabloid mentions
- Lawsuit filings ignored
**2018-2019:**
- Miami Herald breaks it open
- Suddenly "news" again
- Everyone acts surprised
**Lesson:**
The information was available. Court documents are public. It took specific journalists deciding to pursue it.
Many outlets that now cover it extensively ignored it for years. Worth remembering.
