A federal judge overseeing the 2019 criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein has become the third — and final — judge to grant the Justice Department’s motion to unseal grand jury materials and other previously undisclosed evidence from the government’s Epstein investigative files.
Judge Berman’s Order
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman issued a four-page order Wednesday, concluding that Congress made its intent clear when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month. The act overrides traditional grand jury secrecy rules, he wrote, and mandates public disclosure of the materials covered under the Epstein Protective Order.
Berman stated that the “‘plain language’ of the Epstein Files Transparency Act unequivocally intends to make public Epstein grand jury materials and discovery materials covered by the Epstein Protective Order.” He emphasized, however, that the privacy and safety of alleged victims must be protected when the Justice Department releases any records.
Other Judges’ Rulings
This decision follows two similar rulings. On Tuesday, Judge Paul Engelmayer approved the release of grand jury materials and nonpublic evidence from Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case. Judge Rodney Smith also granted a DOJ request to unseal records related to the first federal investigation of Epstein in Florida in the mid-2000s.
Epstein Case Background
Berman presided over Epstein’s 2019 arraignment in New York and ordered him detained pending trial. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Reaction from Congress
Rep. Ro Khanna, who sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, called the trio of rulings “promising” but said he will monitor the Justice Department closely for any efforts to delay release of the files.
“This bill was a bipartisan effort signed by President Trump. I hope Attorney General Pam Bondi will put the survivors above politics and the interests of the Epstein class. The public deserves full transparency, and the survivors deserve justice,” Khanna said.
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