A Democrat-aligned federal judge has rejected the Justice Department’s bid to unseal grand jury materials from the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell child trafficking cases.
The move blocks the public from seeing potentially explosive evidence that prosecutors admitted could contain additional names.
In a 31-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, a Barack Obama appointee, dismissed the DOJ’s motion.
The activist judge claims the sealed records “do not contain significant, undisclosed information” about the crimes or the investigation.
Engelmayer said the grand juries in question weren’t even used for investigative purposes and heard no testimony from victims, eyewitnesses, or suspects; only from law enforcement officials.
The panels met for just one day each, serving the “quotidian purpose” of issuing indictments.
The judge acknowledged that “with only very minor exceptions,” the evidence shown to the grand juries is already part of the public record.
Federal prosecutors also sought to unseal exhibits shown to the grand jurors.
The materials are widely believed to include more names connected to Epstein and Maxwell.
Engelmayer rejected that request as well, writing:
“The materials do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.
“They do not discuss or