Judge allows further release of grand jury materials in Epstein case
A Manhattan judge has authorized the release of sealed Epstein grand jury records after Congress passed the Epstein File Transparency Act.
The deadline for the Justice Department to release files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is fast approaching.
In November, President Donald Trump signed the Epstein File Transparency Act with support from both the House and Senate. It called on the Justice Department to release most of the files related to the Epstein investigation within 30 days.
Since then, a series of court decisions have ordered the release of several documents related to Epstein. On December 10, a federal district judge in Manhattan ordered the release of the grand jury investigation into Epstein. The day before, another judge granted a similar request in the case of Epstein’s colleague Ghislaine Maxwell.
Bipartisan leaders hope the release of Epstein documents will shed more light on his connections to the rich and powerful. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
When will the Epstein files be released?
Under the Epstein File Transparency Act, the Justice Department must release documents related to Epstein within 30 days after the bill is signed.
President Trump signed the bill on November 19th, meaning the files must be released by December 19th.
However, it is possible that not all documents will ultimately be made public. The law makes an exception for documents that “could jeopardize active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution to the extent that such withholding is limited and temporary.”
It’s also possible that Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi will choose to withhold some documents from the public as part of provisions protecting federal investigations, since in November Trump ordered the Justice Department to open an investigation into Democrats with ties to Epstein.
The law also allows authorities to violate victims’ privacy and withhold records containing confidential information about child sexual abuse.
Photo release of Epstein Island
Meanwhile, as the nation waited for the documents, the Democratic Party on December 3 released photos from Epstein’s private island.
Photos show various rooms and items found on the island, including a dentist’s chair, a wall of masks, and a phone with a list of speed dials.
Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee said the footage is “never-seen-before photos and videos of Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, and provides a harrowing picture of what happened behind Epstein’s closed doors.”
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
Contributors: Joey Garrison, Kinsey Crowley, Bert Jansen
