New US law prompts reversal of earlier decision
A federal judge in New York has ruled that the US Department of Justice may publicly release Epstein grand jury records from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case. The decision by US District Judge Richard Berman reverses his prior order keeping the materials sealed, citing a new law passed by Congress requiring their release.
Judge Berman emphasised that victims retain the right to have their identities and privacy protected, calling their “safety and privacy” paramount.
Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in July 2019. He died in a New York prison cell a month later while awaiting trial.
Epstein Files Transparency Act forces disclosure
Judge Berman had originally denied the justice department’s request because of concerns that releasing Epstein grand jury records could endanger victims’ “safety and privacy”. However, the newly enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed last month by President Donald Trump, obliges the department to release investigative material by 19 December.
The law requires that unclassified records, documents and communications relating to Epstein be made public, while allowing the department to withhold material connected to active criminal investigations or significant privacy concerns.
Judge Berman is now the third federal judge to grant such a request since the law came into effect. On Tuesday, another judge approved a similar release in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for recruiting and grooming girls- some as young as 14- before they were abused by Epstein.
Growing pressure for transparency
Last Friday, a judge in Florida authorised the unsealing of transcripts from another grand jury investigation into Epstein dating back to 2005 and 2007.
The Trump administration has faced months of bipartisan pressure over the Epstein files. Although Trump had been a friend of Epstein’s, he has said their relationship ended in the early 2000s, years before Epstein’s first arrest. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to make the files public. His administration released thousands of pages earlier this year- largely flight logs- but in July, justice department officials said no further material would be published. That decision sparked anger in Congress, prompting lawmakers to introduce a resolution mandating disclosure. Trump signed the bill in November, reversing his earlier position.
Disturbing material already released in separate inquiry
The files due for release this month are distinct from documents disclosed by the House Oversight Committee, which subpoenaed Epstein’s estate earlier this year.
Those materials included images of Epstein’s US Virgin Islands property, Little St James, where survivors have long alleged they were trafficked and abused. Photos showed several bedrooms, a room with masks on the wall, a phone with names on speed-dial buttons, and what appeared to be a dental chair. Another room had a blackboard scrawled with the words “truth,” “deception” and “power.”
The committee’s Democratic leader, Robert Garcia, said the releases were intended to ensure transparency. Republicans, who hold the majority, criticised Democrats for sharing selective information in advance and subsequently released additional documents.
Also read: Trump signs Epstein files bill ordering justice department release
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