Overview
- U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith held that the Epstein Files Transparency Act overrides Rule 6 secrecy, clearing the DOJ to unseal transcripts from the 2005–07 Florida grand juries.
- The order sets no immediate publication date and leaves timing, redactions and the method of release to the Justice Department.
- Following the law’s passage, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asked courts to unseal grand jury materials and modify protective orders in multiple Epstein matters.
- The statute mandates release of unclassified Epstein and Maxwell records but allows redactions to protect victims’ identities and to avoid jeopardizing active investigations.
- Parallel bids to unseal grand jury materials in Epstein’s 2019 SDNY case and Maxwell’s 2021 prosecution remain before New York judges, as Maxwell prepares a pro se habeas petition arguing disclosure could prejudice any retrial.