A federal judge has rejected a bid by the Trump administration to unseal grand jury transcripts related to a criminal investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing strict rules governing the secrecy of such materials.
The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg, marks a significant setback for the administration’s efforts to release more information on the Epstein case, which has sparked intense scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s previous ties to the disgraced financier.
The administration’s request to unseal the transcripts, filed last Friday, was part of a broader effort to release more documents related to the Epstein case.
However, Judge Rosenberg ruled that the Justice Department’s request did not meet the narrow exceptions to the rules governing grand jury secrecy.
In her ruling, Judge Rosenberg noted that the administration had not requested the grand jury’s findings for use in a judicial proceeding, and that district courts in the U.S. are largely prohibited from unsealing grand jury testimony except in very narrow circumstances.
The Justice Department still has pending requests to unseal transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to a later indictment brought against Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019, and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
The Epstein case has sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater transparency, with many critics accusing the administration of stonewalling efforts to uncover the truth about the scandal.
In the meantime, the public is urged to continue following developments in the case and to report any information related to Epstein’s activities to the authorities.