Overview
- U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith authorized unsealing of grand jury transcripts from the 2005–2007 Florida investigation into Jeffrey Epstein after prior bids were rejected under secrecy rules.
- The order holds that the Epstein Files Transparency Act overrides Rule 6(e) grand jury confidentiality and permits modification of protective orders to allow public disclosure.
- The Justice Department must publish unclassified records by Dec. 19 and says it will redact victims’ identities and any material tied to active investigations or classified information.
- Separate DOJ motions to unseal grand jury materials in New York related to Epstein’s 2019 case and Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 prosecution remain pending on expedited schedules.
- Maxwell’s lawyer told a New York judge she will file a pro se habeas petition and argued that releasing grand jury records from her case could prejudice any potential retrial.