DOJ Asks Judges To Release Epstein, Maxwell Grand Jury Transcripts

The Trump administration on Tuesday pressed two federal judges to unseal grand jury testimony from the cases that led to the indictments of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges, amid ongoing public concern over the administration’s handling of the matter.

The Justice Department initially requested permission on July 18 to release transcripts of the confidential witness testimony given years earlier in both cases. However, U.S. District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer, based in Manhattan, asked prosecutors to provide more detailed legal justifications for the move.

In a pair of court filings submitted just before midnight, federal prosecutors argued that unsealing the records was warranted due to the “abundant public interest” in the Epstein case and the continued scrutiny of how it was managed by federal authorities, Reuters reported.

The Epstein case has long been a focal point for conspiracy theories, and in recent months, President Trump has faced growing pressure to declassify documents related to the federal investigations into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, according to the official autopsy. He had pleaded not guilty. Maxwell, his longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 on multiple sex trafficking charges and is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Florida. She also pleaded not guilty and is now appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.

Earlier this month, Trump said he directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue the release of grand jury transcripts in both cases. His announcement came after the Justice Department concluded that Epstein’s death was a suicide and that there was no incriminating client list—a finding that angered many of Trump’s conservative supporters, who suspect a cover-up involving Epstein’s ties to wealthy and influential figures and believe he may have been murdered in custody, the report said.

Grand juries, which operate in secrecy, are convened by prosecutors to hear testimony and determine whether criminal charges should be filed. Their proceedings are typically sealed, with only limited exceptions allowing for public disclosure, Reuters noted.

Even if the judges approve the release of the transcripts, it remains unclear whether the documents would reveal new or significant information. Much of the key testimony—including accounts from alleged victims, associates of Epstein and Maxwell, and law enforcement officials—was already made public during Maxwell’s four-week trial in 2021, said the report.

The grand jury transcripts would not encompass all of the unreleased materials in the government’s possession. Investigators often pursue leads that don’t result in charges or interview potential witnesses who ultimately do not testify before a grand jury.

On July 23, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in Florida rejected the administration’s request to unseal records from Epstein-related grand jury proceedings in 2005 and 2007. The judge ruled that the request did not meet any of the narrow legal exceptions required to make such material public.

“Eleventh Circuit [federal appeals court] law does not permit this Court to grant the Government’s request; the Court’s hands are tied—a point the Government concedes,” she wrote in a 12-page opinion, Fox News reported.

The effort was part of a broader call for transparency around Epstein’s sex trafficking network. The grand juries in question were held in 2005 and 2007.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a state-level prostitution charge in Florida as part of a controversial plea deal widely criticized for its leniency. He served just 13 months in jail under that agreement.

Last week, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, formerly Trump’s personal attorney, met with Ghislaine Maxwell over two days to determine whether she could provide information on others involved in criminal activity.

Neither Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, nor Blanche has disclosed details of their discussions.