US Justice Dept loses bid to unseal Epstein partner Ghislaine Maxwell's grand jury records

Irish Times

4 days ago

A
US
judge ruled on Monday that grand jury records from the sex trafficking case of
Ghislaine Maxwell
- partner of late financier
Jeffrey Epstein
- will remain sealed, writing that their release would not answer lingering questions about the case despite the Justice Department's portrayal of them as matters of significant public interest.
President
Donald Trump
, trying to quell discontent from his conservative base of supporters over his administration's handling of the case, last month instructed attorney general
Pam Bondi
to seek court approval for the release of grand jury material from Epstein's and Maxwell's cases.
In his decision denying the Justice Department's request as to Maxwell's case, Manhattan-based US district judge Paul Engelmayer wrote that the government's assertion that the materials would reveal meaningful new information was 'demonstrably false'.
'A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government's motion for their unsealing was aimed not at 'transparency' but at diversion - aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such,' the judge wrote.
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Another federal judge in Manhattan, Richard Berman, is weighing the Justice Department's bid to unseal the grand jury records from Epstein's case. Judge Berman has not yet ruled. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her 2021 conviction on sex-trafficking charges. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
Neither the Justice Department, the White House, nor a lawyer for Maxwell immediately responded to requests for comment.
Epstein socialised with the wealthy and powerful. His death in jail sparked conspiracy theories that other prominent people were involved in his alleged crimes and that he was murdered. The New York City chief medical examiner determined that Epstein's death was a suicide by hanging.
Mr Trump had promised to make public Epstein-related files if re-elected and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But in July, the Justice Department declined to release any more material from its investigation of the case and said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters.
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Bill Clinton and ex-federal officials subpoenaed by Republicans over Epstein sex-trafficking operation
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The Justice Department's request to unseal the grand jury records came as the Trump administration sought to contain the political fallout. In a court filing on July 18th, the Justice Department wrote that 'transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration'. In his decision, Mr Engelmayer wrote that the Maxwell grand jury proceedings, which consisted of testimony from two law enforcement agents, did not contain noteworthy information that had not previously been made public at Maxwell's month-long trial four years ago.
'The materials do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor. They do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein's or Maxwell's,' wrote the judge, who was appointed by Democratic president Barack Obama. 'They do not reveal new sources of their wealth. They do not explore the circumstances of Epstein's death.'
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Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to lower-security prison in Texas
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Mr Engelmayer wrote that even though much of the grand jury material was subsequently made public at Maxwell's trial, there was still a 'systemic interest' in maintaining grand jury secrecy.
Grand juries operate behind closed doors to prevent interference in criminal investigations and to protect the reputations of uncharged individuals. Last month, a Florida judge rejected the administration's request to unseal grand jury records from federal investigations there into Epstein in 2005 and 2007. Epstein served a 13-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2008 to a state-level prostitution charge as part of a deal now widely regarded as too lenient. – Reuters