Federal Judge Clears DOJ to Release Secret Grand Jury Transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein Case
A federal judge has reversed an earlier decision and cleared the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman cited Congress's action related to Epstein files as a basis for his decision.
The materials include roughly 70 pages and, according to the judge, may contain little new information. Similar unsealing moves have occurred in related cases: Judge Paul Engelmayer allowed the unsealing of documents in Ghislaine Maxwell's case, and Judge Rodney Smith permitted the release of transcripts from a 2000s abandoned Epstein probe.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the DOJ to publish all unclassified Epstein-related records in a searchable, downloadable format by December 19. The DOJ is coordinating with survivors and their lawyers to redact sensitive information to protect identities and prevent dissemination of sexualized images.
Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021 and is serving a 20-year sentence, has not taken a position on unsealing the records, though her attorney has noted potential habeas corpus implications. Former President Donald Trump reportedly supported releasing the Epstein files.
