Alan Dershowitz tried to 'bait' Epstein accuser into court -- but she sued him first: Miami Herald reporter

Julie Brown, investigative reporter for the Miami Herald, told CNN on Wednesday that Alan Dershowitz, lawyer for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had been trying to "bait" the woman accusing him of defamation into court for years -- but she "preempted him" by suing first.

Host Jim Sciutto laid out the background of the case.

"In 2007, Dershowitz was one of Epstein's attorneys and helped to negotiate what some call a sweetheart plea deal," he said. "The woman's lawsuit says that Dershowitz tried to destroy her reputation and also accuses him of being involved in a sex trafficking operation."

"She has made this accusation for quite a number of years now, and, of course, Professor Dershowitz has adamantly denied it," said Brown. "In the wake of a series that I wrote last year about the case, he has become more vocal, has held a number of press conferences, in essence almost baiting her to go to court."

"He has wanted her to say this publicly so that he could sue her," Brown went on. "She sort of preempted this by suing him. And he welcomes this because he wants to go to court and he wants to be exonerated and say this never happened. "

Watch the video below.