Florida judge denies Trump administration's request to release Epstein files

BBC News

3 days ago

A judge in Florida has denied the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Robin Rosenberg found that the request - made last week by the justice department - would violate state law. "The court's hands are tied," the judge ruled.The transcripts in question stem from Florida's investigation into Epstein in 2006 that led to him being charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution.President Donald Trump had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of all grand jury evidence after days of sustained pressure from some of his most loyal supporters demanding further disclosures.
In her 12-page order on Friday, Judge Rosenberg ruled that the transcripts could not be released due to guidelines governing grand jury secrecy set by the federal appeals court which oversees Florida.The judge said that the government's argument that the files should be released due to "extensive public interest" and "transparency to the American public" did not meet the requirements for documents to be unsealed under "special circumstances".The judge ruled that a new case be opened so lawyers could make additional legal arguments for why the transcripts, which precede the federal case that led to Epstein's death in jail while awaiting charges in 2019, should be released. A grand jury is a group of citizens set up by a prosecutor to determine whether there is enough evidence for charges to be filed. In legal terms, it determines whether probable cause exists to believe a crime has been committed.The ruling comes as the Trump administration seeks to meet Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex-trafficker who is serving 20 years in prison for helping Epstein abuse young girls.While campaigning last year, Trump - who at one time had been a friend of Epstein - promised to release files relating to the disgraced financier.But Bondi said earlier this month that the US justice department did not believe Epstein had a so-called "client list" that could implicate high-profile associates, and that he did take his own life - despite conspiracies over his death.The statement came after Bondi had touted she was set to announce major revelations about the case, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs" - a nod to those who travelled with the financier or who visited his private islands where many of his purported crimes were said to have occurred.Her reversal prompted furious response from scores of Trump's most ardent supporters who have called for Bondi to resign after failing to produce the list, which officials had previously claimed to have in their possession.Democrats have seized on the Republican infighting to accuse the Trump administration of lying about its commitment to transparency.On Wednesday, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson closed down Congress for summer break one day early, stalling legislative efforts to force the release of documents related to Epstein.The move delays a politically fraught vote on the matter until September. It followed a key committee vote to force Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, to testify before Congress.