(AFP) – A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of the grand jury transcripts from the investigation in Florida of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department requested the unsealing of the transcripts after President Donald Trump signed a bill last month requiring the public release of all government records regarding Epstein. Grand jury proceedings are generally kept secret, and a previous Justice Department request to unseal the transcripts from Epstein’s Florida case had been rebuffed.
But US District Judge Rodney Smith said Friday in a brief order that the Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates their release. Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to a state charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution. The wealthy financier was arrested again in New York in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors. He died while in pre-trial detention, and his death was ruled to be a suicide.
The Justice Department is also seeking the release of the grand jury transcripts from the New York case and that of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls for Epstein. Trump, a once close friend of Epstein, fought for months to prevent the release of the Epstein files held by the Justice Department. However, on November 19 he caved to pressure from Congress, including from his Republican Party, and signed a law compelling the release of the materials.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act calls for the release within 30 days of “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” in the possession of the Justice Department, the FBI, and US attorneys’ offices related to Epstein and Maxwell. Trump and his allies spent years pushing theories about powerful Democrats being protected over involvement with Epstein, framing the case as a potent symbol of how rich men can hide behind lawyers, money, and connections. The FBI and Justice Department triggered a political furor in July with the release of a memo stating that after an “exhaustive review” of the Epstein files, no evidence had emerged that would warrant further investigation.
© 2024 AFP
