A New York federal choose who presided over the intercourse trafficking case towards financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the federal government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.
The ruling Wednesday by Choose Richard Berman in Manhattan got here after the choose presiding over the case towards British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, additionally turned down the federal government’s request.
Barring reversal on enchantment, Berman’s choice forecloses the potential of grand jury testimony being launched now that three judges have reached the identical conclusion. A federal choose in Florida declined to launch grand jury paperwork from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007.
The rulings are a collective repudiation of the Justice Division’s effort to divert consideration away from its acknowledged refusal to launch an enormous trove of information in its possession and clarify that the still-sealed court docket paperwork comprise not one of the solutions prone to fulfill the immense public curiosity within the case.
President Donald Trump had known as for the discharge of transcripts amid rumors and criticism about his long-ago involvement with Epstein. Throughout final yr’s presidential marketing campaign, Trump promised to launch recordsdata associated to Epstein, however he was met with criticism — together with from lots of his personal supporters — when the small variety of information launched by his Justice Division lacked new revelations.
A Justice Division spokesperson declined to touch upon Wednesday.
Berman stated the knowledge contained within the Epstein grand jury transcripts “pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.”
The Justice Division had knowledgeable Berman that the one witness to testify earlier than the Epstein grand jury was an FBI agent who, the choose famous, “had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.”
The agent testified over two days, on June 18, 2019, and July 2, 2019. The whole transcript was 70 pages. The remainder of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow proven through the June 18 session and a name log proven through the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Each of these may also stay sealed, Berman dominated.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year jail sentence after her conviction on intercourse trafficking costs for serving to Epstein sexually abuse women and younger ladies. She was not too long ago transferred from a jail in Florida to a jail camp in Texas. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial.
Maxwell’s case has been the topic of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Division’s assertion final month saying that it might not be releasing any further paperwork from the Epstein intercourse trafficking investigation. The choice infuriated on-line sleuths, conspiracy theorists and components of Trump’s base who had hoped to see proof of a authorities cover-up.
Since then, officers in Trump’s Republican administration have tried to solid themselves as selling transparency within the case, together with by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts.
“The government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein file,” Berman wrote in an obvious reference to the Justice Division’s refusal to launch further information by itself whereas concurrently transferring to unseal grand jury transcripts.
“By comparison,” Berman added, “the instant grand jury motion appears to be a ‘diversion’ from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government’s possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged conduct.”
In the meantime, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks in the past by Deputy Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche, and the Home Oversight Committee had additionally stated that it needed to talk with Maxwell. Her legal professionals stated they’d be open to an interview however provided that the panel have been to make sure immunity from prosecution.
In a letter to Maxwell’s legal professionals, Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was keen to delay the deposition till after the decision of Maxwell’s enchantment to the Supreme Courtroom. That enchantment is predicted to be resolved in late September.
Comer wrote that whereas Maxwell’s testimony was “vital” to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee wouldn’t present immunity or any questions prematurely of her testimony, as was requested by her workforce.
— By Larry Neumeister and Michael R. Sisak; AP author Eric Tucker in Washington additionally contributed to this report.
Initially Revealed: August 20, 2025 at 2:54 PM EDT
