The U.S. Department of Justice has once again pushed for the unsealing of grand jury transcripts related to the sex trafficking cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. This request comes following the enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a new law mandating the disclosure of government files concerning the late financier and his associate.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, along with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, cited the transparency act in court filings urging federal judges Richard Berman and Paul A. Engelmayer to reconsider their previous decisions to keep the transcripts confidential. The Justice Department believes that the law requires the publication of the grand jury and discovery materials in this particular case.
The government is working to adhere to the transparency act’s provisions, which dictate that all Epstein-related files must be made publicly accessible in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days of the law being signed by President Trump, by December 19.
The Justice Department has requested expedited rulings from the judges to allow the release of the grand jury materials, emphasizing that any publicized content can be redacted to protect victims’ personal information. Judge Engelmayer has invited Maxwell and Epstein’s victims to respond by December 3, with the government required to reply by December 10, after which a prompt ruling will be issued.
Under the transparency act, federal agencies must release all unclassified documents and investigative materials pertaining to Epstein’s extensive history of sexual abuse. Judge Berman had previously denied the release of grand jury transcripts, highlighting that the existing government files on Epstein far surpass the content within the sealed transcripts.
The Justice Department’s efforts to unseal the materials have faced opposition from other judges, who have also declined to make public the investigative content on Epstein. The grand jury proceedings included testimony from an FBI agent, although the agent’s knowledge of the case was limited, mostly consisting of hearsay information.
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and later found dead in his prison cell, officially ruled as a suicide. The Justice Department initially sought to unseal the grand jury materials in response to public demand for transparency surrounding Epstein’s case and subsequent investigations into his activities.
Judge Engelmayer, overseeing Maxwell’s trial, expressed skepticism about the necessity of releasing the grand jury transcripts, questioning the true motives behind the government’s request and warning against creating an illusion of transparency. He concluded that the transcripts contained little new information of significance regarding Epstein and Maxwell’s activities.