A federal judge in New York has rejected a request by the Trump administration to release grand jury transcripts from the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and associate of Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that unsealing the documents would risk 'unraveling the foundations of secrecy upon which the grand jury is premised'.
Engelmayer dismissed the government's motion as a 'diversion', noting that the transcripts were 'redundant of the evidence at Maxwell's trial' and contained no information of consequence that was not already public. He added that the testimony consisted of 'garden-variety summary testimony by two law enforcement agents', and was not a matter of significant historical or public interest.
The Trump administration had sought the release in July amid political pressure over the Epstein investigation. Critics accused the government of using the move to create an illusion of transparency. Brad Edwards, a lawyer for Epstein accusers, said he did not disagree with the ruling, provided victim protections were ensured.
The fight over Epstein-related grand jury materials continues, with a Florida judge considering the release of transcripts from a 2006 case that was later shelved. Maxwell has appealed her conviction to the US Supreme Court, arguing she should be shielded under a prior non-prosecution agreement.
