US District Judge rejects DOJ bid to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg, in South Florida rejected the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the 2005 and 2007 federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking activities.

The decision, based on the lack of legal exceptions to grand jury secrecy, hinders the Trump administration’s push to disclose more details about Epstein’s case. The Florida transcripts stem from the Miami U.S. attorney’s probe, which ended with Epstein’s 2007 plea deal to state prostitution charges, resulting in a 13-month sentence.

Similar requests to unseal records are pending in Manhattan federal court. The Justice Department also seeks to unseal transcripts linked to a later indictment involving Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in Manhattan.

Judge Robin Rosenberg determined that the request did not meet the criteria for unsealing grand jury materials.