New York (AFP) – A US federal judge on Wednesday ordered the unsealing of grand jury records on Jeffrey Epstein, in the latest move by a court to release documents related to the convicted sex offender. The decision by New York Judge Richard Berman concerns proceedings launched against the disgraced financier in July 2019, the most serious case against him for the sexual exploitation of minors. Those proceedings were cut short after Epstein’s suicide in prison in August that year during pre-trial detention.
Such records are generally kept secret, but the judge cited a bill that President Donald Trump signed last month requiring that the Justice Department release by December 19 all unclassified records regarding Epstein, whose transgressions remain politically explosive in the United States. On Tuesday, another federal judge agreed to unseal grand jury records from the probe of Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for offenses including sex trafficking of a minor. And on Friday, a judge in Florida ordered the release of grand jury transcripts from the investigation of Epstein in that state.
Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to a state charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution. There is no guarantee that the new documents will contain new revelations, and it remains unclear exactly when, and how, the Justice Department will release all the documents to the public. Trump, once a close friend of Epstein, fought for months to prevent the release of files about him held by the Justice Department.
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. Last month, Trump caved to pressure from Congress, including from fellow Republicans, and signed the law compelling release of the materials.
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