Judge Denies DOJ Bid to Unseal Epstein Records

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s bid to unseal grand jury materials used to charge disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking, instead saying the government is the “logical party” to make any sweeping disclosures.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman ruled that there is “clear precedent and sound purpose” for keeping grand jury records under seal, saying the government failed to show the Epstein papers demonstrate any “special circumstance” justifying their release.

He also noted that the government is already in possession of vast details about the case.

“The information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts pales in comparison to the Epstein investigation information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice,” the judge wrote in a 14-page ruling.

Berman said the fact the administration has already undertaken a comprehensive investigation into Epstein’s case and assembled a “trove” of documents, interviews and exhibits is a “significant and compelling reason” to reject its request. Those records “dwarf” the “70 odd pages” of grand jury materials, he said.

“The Government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein Files,” the judge wrote. “By comparison, the instant grand jury motion appears to be a ‘diversion’ from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government’s possession.”

As frustration grew, top Justice Department officials moved to unseal the grand jury materials with redactions to protect victim confidentiality. The government cited abundant public interest in the case as reason to make the documents public, despite the usual secrecy of grand jury proceedings.

Berman said that the government failed to provide the victims with sufficient notice before filing their motions to unseal the grand jury material, calling possible threats to their safety and privacy “another compelling reason not to unseal” the documents.