Judge Clears DOJ To Release Secret Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts; Files Due By Dec. 19

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman has reversed an earlier order and authorized the Department of Justice to disclose roughly 70 pages of previously sealed grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking investigation.

Berman said his decision was influenced by recent congressional action affecting the handling of the Epstein records. He had earlier observed that the materials appeared to contain little substantively new information, but concluded the balance now favors public release under the new law.

The Department of Justice was cleared to release grand jury files relating to the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell.

Related Court Actions

The decision follows a series of related unsealing moves: a day earlier, Judge Paul Engelmayer granted the DOJ’s motion to unseal separate grand jury transcripts and exhibits in Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case. Last week, Judge Rodney Smith authorized the release of transcripts from an abandoned federal grand jury probe dating to the 2000s. Together, these rulings reflect a coordinated effort across multiple courts to make previously sealed materials available to the public.

Why It Matters

The release is tied to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November, which directs the DOJ to publish in searchable, downloadable form all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession related to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein. The statute sets a deadline of Dec. 19 for making those records public.

Congress passed legislation aimed at releasing the Epstein files.

Victim Protections And Redactions

The DOJ is reportedly coordinating with survivors and their attorneys to redact records to protect victims’ identities and to block dissemination of sexualized images. Courts and prosecutors say they are trying to balance public transparency with privacy and safety concerns for survivors.

Context: Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021, is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Her lawyer said she did not take a position on the unsealing request but cautioned that releasing records could complicate Maxwell’s plan to file a habeas corpus petition, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

These rulings mark a significant step toward greater public access to materials tied to one of the most scrutinized criminal investigations of the past decade, while raising complex questions about privacy, evidentiary fairness and the public’s right to know.