Judge who faced Republican impeachment demands will handle Trump's Epstein request
A judge who faced Republican impeachment calls in February has been assigned to handle the Trump Justice Department's request to release the grand jury testimony that led to charges against Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Manhattan federal Judge Paul Engelmayer was targeted by Republicans after temporarily blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the Treasury Department central payment system in February.
Engelmayer has now been assigned to Maxwell's federal sex-trafficking case, after President Donald Trump's Justice Department made a request in the case on Friday to release the grand jury transcripts, with redactions to shield "victim-related and other personal identifying information."
Those transcripts would show witness testimony that formed the basis for charges against Maxwell. But the caveat on redactions could disappoint members of the public who are clamoring for a list of any potential Epstein clients who may have participated with him in a sex-trafficking ring, or for the government to release records beyond the grand jury testimony.
The Justice Department made a similar request Friday in Epstein's federal sex-trafficking case, for which Epstein was awaiting trial when he was found dead in a jail cell in 2019.
In addition to his federal sex-trafficking charges, Epstein was convicted in 2008 of a sex offense involving minors. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking a minor to Epstein. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence and appealing her conviction.
Although Epstein's death was ruled a suicide by New York's chief medical examiner, conspiracy theorists have continued to question that conclusion and suggest Epstein may have been killed to protect powerful people who could have been involved in a sex-trafficking ring with the disgraced financier.
Epstein rubbed shoulders with many rich and powerful people, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton. There's no evidence that either of those men participated in any criminal conduct with Epstein.
In late 2002, Trump was quoted in a New York Magazine story calling Epstein a "terrific guy" and someone who "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side." For Epstein's 50th birthday in early 2003, Trump sent him a letter saying they have "certain things in common" with a drawing of a naked woman, according to a July 17 Wall Street Journal report. Trump denies writing the letter and sued the newspaper's publisher over the story July 18.
The two men's friendship ruptured around 2004, at about the time they had a power struggle over an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion, according to the Washington Post.
Members of Trump's own circle, including FBI Director Kash Patel, have fueled those conspiracy theories for years. But in a memo released July 7, the Justice Department and FBI said a "systematic review" of documents related to Epstein "revealed no incriminating 'client list'" and supported the conclusion that he died by suicide. No further disclosures in the case were warranted, according to the memo.
Facing mounting pressure from members of his own base following the memo, Trump said in a July 17 Truth Social post that he directed his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to produce pertinent grand jury testimony, subject to court approval.
"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval," Trump posted on Truth Social July 17.
Engelmayer will now be tasked with handling that request in Maxwell's case. Following his February ruling on DOGE's access to the Treasury payment system, U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, a Georgia Republican, introduced a resolution calling for Engelmayer's impeachment, which was co-sponsored by fellow Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Taylor Greene is one of the Republicans to have broken from the Trump administration when it comes to the Epstein memo.
"No one believes there is not a client list," she posted on X July 8.
Contributing: Reuters
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