Private detective Michael Fisten, who played a significant role in exposing financier Jeffrey Epstein as a serial sexual abuser, lost an appeal for additional compensation for his participation in this investigation. Fisten’s court case was against journalist Julie Brown, who was instrumental in bringing the Epstein story to light through her reporting.
Fisten was denied his bid for a $350,000 payment after a Florida appeals court refused to overturn an arbitrator’s ruling that Brown was under no obligation to provide more funds for their shared work on Brown’s book, “Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story”. The book provides a comprehensive account of how Epstein managed to dodge prison time for numerous years, despite persistent rumours of sex trafficking involving underage girls. Epstein found himself under arrest in 2019 following the release of Brown’s news reports, and subsequently took his own life.
The arbitrator initially ruled in Brown’s favor due to a lack of evidence indicating that Fisten had adequately fulfilled his role in the investigation deal. This lack of evidence turned out to be a key factor in the unsuccessful appeal bid by Fisten.
Further details about this case can be found on the Bloomberg Law website.