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Judge approves unsealing of Epstein grand jury records
A Florida judge has ruled that grand jury transcripts from the 2005 and 2007 investigations into Jeffrey Epstein must be made public, following a new federal law mandating the disclosure of files related to the convicted sex offender.
Legal basis for release
US District Judge Rodney Smith granted the Justice Department's request to unseal the documents, citing the recently enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act. The law, signed by President Donald Trump last month, overrides previous federal rules protecting grand jury secrecy for materials tied to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
In his ruling, Judge Smith stated that the new legislation's "specific language" supersedes earlier restrictions on disclosure.
Background of the investigations
The transcripts stem from federal probes into allegations that Epstein sexually abused underage girls. Despite the severity of the accusations, no federal charges were filed. Instead, Epstein reached a controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2008, pleading guilty to lesser state prostitution charges in Florida.
A prior Justice Department request to unseal the records was denied in August on the grounds that it violated grand jury confidentiality rules. The new law removes that barrier.
Broader document release efforts
The Justice Department is also seeking to unseal additional files from Epstein's 2019 sex-trafficking case in New York, as well as records from Maxwell's 2021 trial. Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein's crimes, was recently transferred from a Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas.
On Wednesday, her legal team filed a motion in Manhattan federal court requesting early release.
Deadline and potential exemptions
The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires federal agencies to disclose relevant materials by 19 December. However, the law permits the withholding of documents that could:
- Compromise an active criminal investigation
- Identify or violate the privacy of Epstein's victims
- Contain graphic images of abuse, death, or injury
- Include classified information related to national security or foreign policy
Recent developments
Earlier this week, Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee released photographs from Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands. The images depicted bedrooms in his residence, a room with masks displayed on a wall, and a telephone with names listed on speed-dial buttons.
Public and political pressure for transparency has intensified since Epstein's death in jail in 2019, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
