Hidden grand jury transcripts related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case have been approved for public release by a judge. US District Judge Richard M. Berman, alongside two other judges, granted the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) request to unseal documents from the 2019 federal investigation into the deceased sex offender. This decision reverses Judge Berman’s previous stance on keeping the materials sealed, citing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates the DoJ to disclose all Epstein-related files by December 19. Judge Berman emphasized the importance of protecting the identity and privacy of Epstein’s victims while approving the motion.
While initially stating that the approximately 70 pages of grand jury materials were not revealing, pressure from Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s victims led to the request for unsealing the files with safeguards for their identities and privacy.
In a separate development, court documents disclosed in January 2024 mentioned notable figures such as former Prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton, and current US President Donald Trump, although much of the content was already public knowledge. Epstein passed away in a New York prison cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
Judge Berman’s ruling coincided with another judge’s decision to allow the public release of grand jury materials from Maxwell’s sex trafficking investigation. Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for her involvement in enabling Epstein’s abuse, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Earlier in December, House Oversight Committee Democrats unveiled images of Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, describing them as offering a disturbing insight into Epstein’s activities.
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