A federal judge has denied the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the sex trafficking cases involving Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, ruling the records would reveal “next to nothing new” about their crimes or the government’s investigation.
In a 31-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer concluded the materials do not contain significant undisclosed evidence. He noted that the grand juries were not used for investigative purposes and heard no testimony from victims, eyewitnesses, suspects, or even records custodians. Instead, each grand jury met for just one day to hear from law enforcement witnesses and return indictments.
“Next to Nothing New”
Engelmayer wrote that almost all the evidence presented to the Maxwell grand jury is already part of the public record from her 2021 trial.
“The materials do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor,” he stated. “They do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s… They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes.”
The judge also said the documents shed