Federal Judge Orders Release of Epstein and Maxwell Grand Jury Transcripts

Fri Dec 05 2025 23:16:30 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a pivotal move, a federal judge in Florida has mandated the release of grand jury transcripts involving Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, under a new law aimed at increasing transparency in high-profile cases.

A federal judge has ordered the release of grand jury transcripts related to the sex trafficking cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. This decision comes after the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which allows for the unsealing of records that were previously protected. The Justice Department is working to release extensive material related to the investigations by the end of December.

ORLANDO, Fla. — In a significant development in the ongoing investigations into notorious figures Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, a federal judge in Florida has ordered the release of grand jury transcripts associated with the federal sex trafficking cases against them.

U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith announced this decision, stating that the recently enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act supersedes existing federal rules that normally prevent the disclosure of grand jury materials.

This new legislation, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump last month, mandates that the Justice Department, the FBI, and federal prosecutors release a wide range of documents and materials accumulated during their investigations into Epstein. This release is expected by December 19.

The Justice Department is seeking to unseal documents related to three distinct Epstein-related cases: the 2006-2007 grand jury investigation in Florida, the 2019 sex trafficking case in New York, and Ghislaine Maxwell's own sex trafficking case, which concluded in 2021. The request pertaining to the Florida grand jury investigation was granted, while the New York requests are still under consideration. The department faces a pressing deadline to submit responses regarding these cases, with judges expressing their intention to rule swiftly on the matter.

Despite attempts to reach comments from federal prosecutors involved in the Florida case, responses were not forthcoming. This moment reflects a critical step toward transparency in the shadowy operations surrounding Epstein and his associates, potentially providing new insights into the extensive networks involved in these high-profile trafficking cases.