On Wednesday, a judge ruled that the secret 2019 grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s human trafficking trial can be made public, the AP reported, writes TASR.
- Judge authorizes release of secret 2019 grand jury transcripts.
- The new law requires Epstein documents to be released to the public.
- The published materials contain indirect information about the Epstein case.
- The Ministry of Justice requested the lifting of secrecy under the new law.
- Epstein’s case is attracting attention because of his contacts and actions.
With the decision, Judge Richard M. Berman joined two other judges who agreed to a request by the US Department of Justice to release materials related to the sexual abuse investigation of the late financier Epstein.
Declassification
Judge Berman of New York overturned his previous decision to declassify the materials, citing a new law that requires the government to release documents related to Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. The judge pointed out that the approximately 70 pages of materials intended for publication contain only “circumstantial information” and do not provide fundamentally new knowledge about Epstein’s conduct.
The aforementioned law requires the Justice Department to release Epstein records to the public by December 19.
Defense of Maxwell
Lawyers handling Epstein’s estate and legal affairs after his death said last week that they neither supported nor opposed the Justice Department’s request.
On Tuesday, another federal judge — in Manhattan — ordered the release of documents from a 2021 sex-trafficking case involving Maxwell. Last week, a Florida judge authorized the release of transcripts from the pending federal investigation into Epstein from the 2000s.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act
The U.S. Justice Department asked judges to declassify it after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed, which created an exception to rules normally keeping grand jury proceedings secret.
In his ruling, Judge Berman emphasized that the statute clearly mandates the release of both grand jury materials and evidence that was previously classified. He also called on the ministry to comply with privacy rules and to withhold the names and identification details of the victims, as their safety and privacy are “crucial”.
Epstein and Maxwell
Epstein, a millionaire known for his connections to celebrities, politicians and billionaires, committed suicide in prison a month after his arrest in 2019. Maxwell was convicted in federal court in 2021 of sex trafficking and helping recruit underage victims for Epstein. He is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Maxwell’s attorney warned last week that the release of classified grand jury documents could jeopardize his client’s plan to file a legal motion to overturn the conviction. The US Supreme Court rejected Maxwell’s appeal in October.
