Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
NEW: DOJ makes a new attempt to unseal all Epstein grand jury records in Florida
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/21/doj-attempt-unseal-epstein-records-00665987The Justice Department renewed its effort Friday to publicly release grand jury records related to the criminal prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime ally and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Three federal judges earlier this year rebuffed the Trump administration’s bid to force the grand jury material into the public, part of a hurried push by Justice Department leaders to quell a furor within Trump’s base after the FBI announced it had no evidence linking Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring to a long list of high-powered associates.
The judges, based in Florida and New York, panned the unsealing effort, in part because they noted the Justice Department already had reams of material that it could release on its own. In addition, they said, the grand jury records themselves were limited and unlikely to shed new light on the evidence against Epstein and Maxwell.
Justice Department leaders say President Donald Trump’s decision to sign the Epstein Files Transparency Act this week — ordering the release of nearly all of the investigative files held by the Justice Department and FBI — has changed the equation. Though federal law typically requires grand jury material to remain secret, they say the new law supersedes those restrictions, with few exceptions.
“The Act does not exempt all grand jury transcripts from public production,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Manolo Reboso wrote in a filing asking a Florida-based judge to release relevant grand jury records. “Public production of the grand jury material is therefore required.”
Three federal judges earlier this year rebuffed the Trump administration’s bid to force the grand jury material into the public, part of a hurried push by Justice Department leaders to quell a furor within Trump’s base after the FBI announced it had no evidence linking Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring to a long list of high-powered associates.
The judges, based in Florida and New York, panned the unsealing effort, in part because they noted the Justice Department already had reams of material that it could release on its own. In addition, they said, the grand jury records themselves were limited and unlikely to shed new light on the evidence against Epstein and Maxwell.
Justice Department leaders say President Donald Trump’s decision to sign the Epstein Files Transparency Act this week — ordering the release of nearly all of the investigative files held by the Justice Department and FBI — has changed the equation. Though federal law typically requires grand jury material to remain secret, they say the new law supersedes those restrictions, with few exceptions.
“The Act does not exempt all grand jury transcripts from public production,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Manolo Reboso wrote in a filing asking a Florida-based judge to release relevant grand jury records. “Public production of the grand jury material is therefore required.”
JUST IN: DOJ makes a new attempt to unseal all Epstein grand jury records in Florida, saying the law newly signed by Trump overrides grand jury secrecy laws.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney.bsky.social) 2025-11-22T01:19:27.540Z
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
NEW: DOJ says the Trump-signed Epstein Files Transparency Act overrides grand jury secrecy, requiring the public release of Epstein/Maxwell evidence once shielded by federal law.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney.bsky.social) 2025-11-22T02:22:51.521Z
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...