FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — A federal judge on Friday directed the Department of Justice to begin releasing grand jury transcripts tied to its Florida investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first major action triggered by the newly enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith issued the order after President Donald Trump signed the law last month, requiring the DOJ to disclose long-sealed materials concerning Epstein’s activities.
The law overrides prior protective orders that prevented the release of grand jury records. While an exact timeline remains uncertain, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ must begin producing documents by December 19. The ruling comes as Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal team prepares a court petition challenging her detention, raising the possibility of a retrial. Maxwell’s attorneys argued that releasing grand jury information now would jeopardize her ability to receive a fair proceeding, calling the potential prejudice “severe.”
Maxwell was convicted of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls and is serving a 20-year sentence.
The case continues to draw intense political scrutiny. This week, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released previously unseen images from Epstein’s U.S. Virgin Islands home, describing the visuals as “disturbing.” Meanwhile, Trump has directed Bondi to investigate Epstein’s connections to prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton and former Harvard President Larry Summers. A DOJ memo, however, stated that a systemic review found no basis for charges against any uncharged third parties.
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