“Who is this guy again?”
Journalists Julie Brown and Emily Michot were in a restaurant in St. Thomas, waiting for a source who called himself Chef James.
His emails suggested he knew a lot about Jeffrey Epstein.
But Emily was getting nervous. 🧵 trib.al/G0YMB2F
Journalists Julie Brown and Emily Michot were in a restaurant in St. Thomas, waiting for a source who called himself Chef James.
His emails suggested he knew a lot about Jeffrey Epstein.
But Emily was getting nervous. 🧵 trib.al/G0YMB2F
Chef James had told Julie, for example, that while Epstein was on work release at the Palm Beach County jail in 2008, he spent over $100,000 in catering bills for his “office.”
A lot of that food went to deputies who were making upwards of $42 an hour monitoring him.
A lot of that food went to deputies who were making upwards of $42 an hour monitoring him.
That night, as they were waiting, Brown was texting with Lauren Book, a Florida state senator and child abuse survivor who had become involved in pushing for a probe into whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office in connection with Epstein.
As they waited, Emily became more wary.
Then Lauren texted that she had received a number of threats from people who were warning her against pursuing anything connected to Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
Then Lauren texted that she had received a number of threats from people who were warning her against pursuing anything connected to Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
This jarred Julie because Lauren’s father, Ron Book, is one of the most powerful lobbyists in Florida.
She called him to find out more.
She knew he would likely be using all his power to determine where the threats to his daughter were coming from.
She called him to find out more.
She knew he would likely be using all his power to determine where the threats to his daughter were coming from.
“Well, a while back there was this guy who kept sending Lauren these terrible emails, she was afraid for her life," Ron said.
“We had to hire security and try to find the guy. He only went by the name Chef James."
“We had to hire security and try to find the guy. He only went by the name Chef James."
“Chef James? Are you sure?’’ Julie said as she stepped outside the restaurant so that no one could hear the alarm in her voice.
“Get out of there fast,’’ Ron said.
“Get out of there fast,’’ Ron said.
When Julie began investigating Epstein in 2016, the case had long grown cold.
Epstein’s victims — women now in their 20s and 30s — were traumatized.
Then came her series, which revealed how Epstein and others were given unprecedented immunity.
Epstein’s victims — women now in their 20s and 30s — were traumatized.
Then came her series, which revealed how Epstein and others were given unprecedented immunity.
Almost immediately after her series was published by the @MiamiHerald in November 2018, federal prosecutors in New York opened a new criminal case against Epstein — and 8 months later, Epstein was arrested by the FBI on sex trafficking charges.
With Epstein in a federal jail awaiting trial, Julie and Emily traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands in July 2019 to try to uncover more about the sex crimes he may have committed on his “Pedophile Island.”
In a new book, “Perversion of Justice,” @jkbjournalist describes her pursuit of Epstein’s secrets, including a trip with @EmilyMichot to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2019 to try to uncover more about the sex crimes that may have been committed on his “Pedophile Island.”
◾ You can find the book here when it drops July 20: barnesandnoble.com/w/perversion-o…
◾ And if you need a refresher, read our full #PerversionofJustice investigation on Epstein and how the serial sex abuser got the deal of a lifetime: miamiherald.com/perversionofju…
◾ To support local investigative journalism, please consider subscribing today. #ReadLocal account.miamiherald.com/subscribe/crea…
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