Miami Herald reporter hits back at Scaramucci over criticism of Epstein story

A Miami Herald rejected accusations from former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci that her newspaper “planted” a story linking Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Julie Brown, an investigative reporter for the Herald, fired back at Scaramucci on Thursday afternoon after the former Trump aide wrote that the Herald tried to “do a number” on Acosta because of his success in the Trump administration.

“1. I’m not in D.C. and have very few D.C. connections 2. ‘Planted’ ? Hmm. I don’t even know what that means,” Brown wrote on Twitter.

“3. This was honest to god, shoe leather reporting & digging through dense court documents for a year,” she added. “No one contacted me to do this story. No one. It was totally my idea.”

1. I’m not in D.C. and have very few D.C. connections
2. “Planted” ? Hmm. I don’t even know what that means
3. This was honest to god, shoe leather reporting & digging through dense court documents for a year. No one contacted me to do this story. No one. It was totally my idea. https://t.co/7lS379snDa

— julie k. brown (@jkbjournalist) November 29, 2018

Acosta did not respond to requests to comment from the Herald on the story, which detailed his work as a U.S. attorney to secure a lighter punishment for Epstein via a plea agreement despite evidence that the billionaire was involved in bringing underaged girls to the U.S. for prostitution.

Despite his conviction, Epstein was allowed under the agreement to leave jail during his 13-month sentence for 12-hour periods six days a week to commute to his private office for work. The agreement was kept secret from his accusers.

Linking the story to his work in the Trump administration, Scaramucci tweeted Thursday that Acosta is “doing a great job,” adding: “This is DC: how it works. There is fake news and ‘planted’ news. The people are tired of this. Hang in there Alex!!”

“The news is 14 years old and surfacing now because @SecretaryAcosta is doing a good job. The senate looked at it and confirmed him,” he added in a second tweet.

Scaramucci exited the White House last year after a 10-day stint as President Trump’s communications director, which ended following an expletive-laden interview with a New Yorker reporter.