US judge approves bid to unseal Epstein grand jury documents

While Judge Paul Engelmayer approved the Justice Department request, he warned the Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury files contain few new details.Published On 9 Dec 2025A United States federal judge has ruled that the Department of Justice can release grand jury documents from the sex trafficking case of Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.District Judge Paul Engelmayer said on Tuesday that he would allow the publication of the documents but cautioned that there is little new information in them.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Epstein victims expect death threats to rise as US release of files nearslist 2 of 3Israel’s ex-PM Ehud Barak and Epstein had close relationship, emails reveallist 3 of 3Ghislaine Maxwell to seek release from prison: Court filingend of list“They do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s,” Engelmayer wrote. “They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes.”Grand jury materials often contain court transcripts: They do not represent the full investigative file the Department of Justice may have.Generally, they are sealed to protect witness testimony and ensure the fair administration of justice, since grand juries often decide whether or not a case proceeds to trial.But a new law has allowed Epstein-related files — even secret grand jury materials — to be released to the public.In November, the US Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which creates an exemption to the secrecy surrounding grand jury materials.That law was signed by US President Donald Trump, who has faced scrutiny over his own relationship with the late Epstein, a financier who died by suicide in 2019.Trump initially urged Republican lawmakers to reject the law, despite growing calls for greater transparency.But in mid-November, he reversed course, calling on congressional Republicans to vote in favour of the act. “We have nothing to hide,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.Weighing grand jury secrecyThe Trump administration had previously petitioned to unseal grand jury documents related to Epstein in July, but those requests were denied.