The government lost its bid to unseal grand jury transcripts in the sex-trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein.
Richard Berman, a federal judge in New York, said the transcripts pale in comparison to the documents the government already has on Epstein and that disclosing them could harm victims.
The ruling comes after a different judge ruled against disclosure in a separate effort to unseal transcripts in a case against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend. Maxwell is in prison on a 20-year sentence after she was convicted of sex trafficking for aiding Epstein’s sexual abuses.
Epstein, who died by suicide in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused hundreds of girls and women and operated a sex-trafficking ring over decades. He was connected with some of the world’s most powerful people. Documents related to his conduct could reveal his connections, how he made his money and how he was able to evade justice for so long.
The government was seeking to unseal 70 pages of grand jury transcripts, exhibits including a PowerPoint presentation, four pages of call logs and letters from victims and their attorneys, from proceedings that took place in 2019.
The motions to unseal the documents came as the Trump administration is under intense scrutiny from its supporters over failure to release Epstein files in its possession. Trump had previously promised to release the files, a longtime goal for the Maga movement, and now has sought to tamp down fury among...
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