Judge blocks Trump request to unseal Epstein files; says law doesn’t permit release; no exceptional case made
A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday refused to unseal grand jury records from earlier Jeffrey Epstein investigations, dismissing a request made by the Trump administration. US district judge Robin Rosenberg ruled that the grand jury material from 2005 and 2007 did not meet any of the exceptions under US law that would allow it to be released to the public.Department of justice (DOJ) had filed the request last week, claiming transparency was necessary to address growing speculation among supporters of Donald Trump. Many of them believe there was a deliberate effort to hide the identities of Epstein’s clients and suppress evidence, including alleged videos of abuse. In 2008, Epstein reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Florida, avoiding major federal charges by pleading guilty to lesser state crimes involving underage prostitution. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche had also asked courts in both Florida and New York to unseal grand jury transcripts from indictments against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. He argued the public had a right to know the full extent of the case.Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on sex trafficking charges but died in a New York jail a month later. His death was ruled a suicide. Maxwell was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
