Miami Herald investigation exposes Epstein plea deal and forces federal charges

The Miami Herald published a landmark investigative series on November 28, 2018, revealing that federal prosecutors had granted Jeffrey Epstein a secret non-prosecution agreement in 2008, shielding him and unnamed co-conspirators from federal charges despite evidence of serial sex trafficking. Reporter Julie Brown documented how U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta negotiated the deal without notifying victims, violating the Crime Victims Rights Act. The investigation triggered a federal judicial review and ultimately led to Epstein's 2019 federal indictment in New York.