A federal judge in Florida has ordered the release of grand jury transcripts tied to the bombshell sex trafficking investigations of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith ruled Friday that a recently signed federal law overrides the secrecy normally surrounding grand jury records. The decision forces the Justice Department to make public material collected during Epstein’s investigations.
The law, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, was signed last month by President Donald Trump. It compels federal prosecutors, the FBI and Justice Department to turn over their hidden evidence later this month.
Judge Smith said the statute strips away prior protections on closed-door testimony and undisclosed documents long shielded from public scrutiny.
The government requested permission to include normally sealed grand jury records in its public release. The judge approved the Florida request, paving the way for the first round of disclosures.
The Justice Department has not yet set a firm release date. However, the law mandates disclosure by December 19.
Federal prosecutors have spent years gathering witness testimony, sealed exhibits and classified investigative material connected to Epstein’s trafficking operation.
The documents are expected to include testimony that involved Maxwell’s alleged recruiting of minors, Epstein’s sex trafficking network and statements from victims who sought justice for more than two decades.
Officials have asked judges in New York for similar authorization to release records from Epstein’s 2019 case and Maxwell’s 2021 prosecution. Those courts are expected to rule quickly, with a Monday deadline approaching.
However, the law signed by Trump allows the Justice Department to withhold certain files if releasing them would jeopardize active investigations, per the New York Post.
Under longstanding policy, officials can also restrict access to documents if they are classified or tied to national defense or foreign policy. That could keep certain names and international connections sealed.
The Justice Department declined to answer questions on Friday. One federal prosecutor on the Florida case did not respond to calls, and another refused to comment.
Attorney Bradley Edwards, who has represented Epstein victims for years, praised the transparency effort during a press conference in Washington. He stood with advocates who long pushed to expose the government’s handling of the case.
The push for disclosure follows intense public scrutiny of how Epstein evaded severe punishment after his earlier Florida case in 2006 and 2007.
Victims have argued that Epstein’s political and international ties may explain why authorities repeatedly failed to bring his full network to justice.
The new release could expose who helped Epstein operate, who protected him, and whether additional suspects were shielded from prosecution.
