Judge Denies DOJ’s Request to Seal Epstein Transcripts

A federal judge has turned down a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to seal transcripts related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein in Florida.

The judge opted not to seal records connected to the 2005 and 2007 grand jury investigations into Epstein held in West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, requests for sealed testimony associated with Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein’s prosecution in New York are still unresolved.

In a 12-page ruling, Judge Robin Rosenberg, appointed by Obama, stated, “The 11th Circuit does not allow this court to grant government requests. The court’s hands are tied. There are some points the government has allowed.”

Amid all of this, Mike Johnson has raised some eyebrows, claiming, “The Biden administration held the Epstein Files for four years… [Democrats] He waited until President Trump was elected. I think that’s very suspicious.”

In 2007, Epstein signed a controversial agreement that permitted him to plead guilty to a state charge in Florida, thus avoiding federal prosecution. Roy Black, the defense attorney behind this deal, recently passed away.

Alexander Acosta, who was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida at the time, later served as Secretary of Labor under Trump. He resigned amid criticism of Epstein’s judicial agreement.

On Tuesday, two federal judges in Manhattan indicated they require more information before making a decision regarding the administration’s request for grand jury testimony.

The DOJ submitted a motion to seal the grand jury transcript at the request of former President Donald Trump. Trump remarked, “Based on the outrageous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I asked Attorney General Pam Bondy to generate all relevant grand jury court testimony subject to court approval.” He added that the situation has been perpetuated by Democrats and suggested it should come to an end.

The Trump administration faced backlash after it was reported early in July that further disclosure of evidence related to Epstein was deemed inappropriate.