Judge rules Epstein grand jury records from 2019 case can be released

55 minutes agoAoife WalshReutersA federal judge in New York has ruled the US Department of Justice can publicly release grand jury records from Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case. US District Judge Richard Berman's ruling reverses his previous decision to keep the material sealed. He cited a new law passed by Congress requiring the justice department to release files about Epstein.In his latest ruling, Judge Berman said the victims have the right to "have their identity and privacy protected", adding that their "safety and privacy are paramount".Esptein was charged with sex trafficking in July 2019. He died in a New York prison cell a month later while awaiting trail. Judge Berman in August had denied the justice department's request because of concerns about "possible threats to victims' safety and privacy".But in Wednesday's ruling, he said the materials could now be released because of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by US President Donald Trump last month. The law requires the justice department to release investigative material related to Epstein by 19 December, including unclassified records, documents and communications.It also allows the department to withhold files that involve active criminal investigations or raise privacy concerns.Judge Berman is the third federal judge to grant similar requests from the justice department since the new law was introduced. On Tuesday, another judge made a similar ruling in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein's abuse.During her trial, prosecutors argued Maxwell recruited and groomed girls, some as young as 14, between 1994 and 2004, before they were abused by Epstein. She is serving a 20-year sentence. Last Friday, a judge in Florida granted a different request to unseal grand jury transcripts from another investigation into Epstein from 2005 and 2007.