A federal judge said he would not cancel jury transcripts and exhibitions in an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein – rejecting the Justice Department's request for disclosure.
Judge Richard Berman said the Justice Department did not overcome the long-term precedent to seal the material from the grand jury, noting that the information contained in the sealing material was small relative to the entire investigation file at the hands of the Justice Department.
“The information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcript is faint compared to the information and materials of the Epstein investigation,” the judge wrote.
The Justice Department declined to comment on Berman's ruling. This is the third federal judge to refuse to release Epstein-related transcripts and evidence.
The ruling comes as the Trump administration faces increasing pressure to release more information about Epstein’s archives, especially after senior officials promised to do so.
“The government is a logical party that discloses Epstein archives to the public. In contrast, the motion of the instant grand jury appears to be a “transfer” of the breath and scope of the government-owned Epstein archives.”
The judge added another compelling reason to keep records is “a possible threat to the safety and privacy of the victims.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi released the binders to right-wing social media influencers in February at the White House, but many influencers shared that the binders did not disclose any new information about Epstein’s archives.
The Justice Department has begun to revoke their promises, and will release more information and downplay the situation in May's Epstein case. Bondi reminded Trump in May that his name appeared in the archives.
On July 7, the Justice Department issued an unsigned memorandum saying they would not release any documents about Epstein's archives. The lack of transparency in the memo will only anger the political foundations of Democrats, the public and even Trump.
The Justice Department explored several avenues to obtain more information, including a grand jury that required two federal judges in New York to announce their grand jury materials in Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, a long-time partner of Epstein, is currently sentenced to 20 years in prison for a living and sexually abuse of underage girls for a year-long plan with Epstein.
New York federal judge Paul Engelmayer denied that the Justice Department had harsh opinions on Maxwell's case on August 11, saying the judicial premise was false and that the request was not a matter of public interest.
The Justice Department also requested the opening of a jury from Florida's federal court, a request that the judge quickly denied.
Additionally, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted a two-day interview with Maxwell on July 24 and 25 at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tallahassee, Florida. The Ministry of Justice is transcribing 10 hours of audio tapes during an interview.
Additional information has been updated on this story.