Overview
- U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, in filings bearing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, asked Manhattan judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer to authorize release of grand jury transcripts, exhibits and related discovery.
- Justice Department lawyers argue the Epstein Files Transparency Act overrides Rule 6(e) secrecy and earlier court orders, and they request expedited rulings to meet the Dec. 19 deadline.
- The judge in the Maxwell case set a briefing schedule requiring Maxwell’s position by Dec. 3, a government response by Dec. 10, and directed prosecutors to notify victims who may submit letters.
- Any materials released would include narrow redactions to protect victims’ identities and to avoid jeopardizing active investigations, with justifications for withholdings to be documented.
- Judges previously denied similar requests, noting the grand jury cache is limited—roughly 70 pages in Epstein’s case with an FBI agent’s testimony, a slideshow and a call log—and unlikely to add much beyond the DOJ’s far larger investigative files.