A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Justice Department may publicly release investigative materials from the sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, following the department’s November request to unseal grand jury transcripts, exhibits, and related records from the Maxwell and Epstein cases.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer’s order follows passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month, which requires the Justice Department to publish Epstein-related records in a searchable format by December 19th.
Engelmayer becomes the second judge to authorize disclosure of previously sealed Epstein records. A Florida judge last week approved the release of transcripts from an abandoned federal grand jury investigation into Epstein from the 2000s. A separate request tied to Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case remains pending.
Earlier attempts by the department to unseal grand jury materials had been rejected by two judges in New York and one in Florida. The latest request significantly expanded the scope, covering 18 categories of investigative materials, including search warrants, financial records, survivor interview notes, electronic device data, and records from earlier Florida investigations.
The Justice Department said it is consulting with survivors and their attorneys and will apply redactions to protect identities and prevent the release of explicit material. Many of the records slated for release originate from law enforcement and prosecutors in Palm Beach tied to Epstein investigations from the mid-2000s.
