DOJ Requests Unsealing of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell Grand Jury Transcripts After New Transparency Law

The Justice Department has filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida asking a judge to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sex‑trafficking investigations. The filing cites Congress's recent passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the department to release all unclassified records connected to Epstein within 30 days.

The motion — submitted by the Justice Department and signed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jason Quinones — asks the court to lift preexisting protective orders that would bar public disclosure and to permit the department to comply with the new statute. The department said it will "make appropriate redactions of victim‑related and other personal identifying information." It also requested expedited consideration to meet the 30‑day deadline imposed by the law.

Background

Federal grand juries in New York indicted Epstein on child sex‑trafficking charges in July 2019, about five weeks before he was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell; his death was later ruled a suicide. In June 2020 a federal grand jury indicted Maxwell, Epstein's former associate, for conspiring with Epstein and helping run his trafficking operation. Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

This effort follows renewed scrutiny over how earlier decisions in the Epstein probe were handled, including a two‑page Justice Department memo this summer that said a "systematic review" identified an allegedly incriminating "client list" but found "no credible evidence" that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals. That memo drew strong criticism from survivors and advocacy groups.

Legal hurdles and prior rulings

The Justice Department's latest request is not the first attempt to make grand jury materials public. In August, a New York judge denied a previous DOJ effort to unseal grand jury records in the Maxwell matter, concluding that reviewers hoping to learn substantial new facts "would come away feeling disappointed and misled." The department's current motion asks the court to revisit protective orders in light of the new congressional mandate.

Over the years, batches of Epstein‑related documents have been released in piecemeal disclosures by various entities, including congressional committees. President Donald Trump, who has acknowledged past social ties to Epstein but has not been accused of wrongdoing in these investigations, withdrew earlier opposition to the transparency bill and signed it into law.

What to expect next

If the court grants the Justice Department's motion, the department would proceed with redactions intended to protect victims' identities and other sensitive information while releasing unclassified grand jury transcripts and records. The timing and scope of any disclosure will depend on the court's ruling and the extent of redactions the DOJ deems necessary to comply with both the statute and longstanding grand jury confidentiality rules.