1:22Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, July 2, 2020, in New York. John Minchillo/AP
With the Justice Department nearing a 30-day deadline to make public its files concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, federal lawyers have again petitioned a Florida-based federal court to disclose grand jury records — related to the initial federal probe of Epstein — mentioning this week’s passage of the Epstein Transparency Act by lawmakers.
"Public provision of the grand jury data is therefore mandated," DOJ expressed in the Friday submission, noting that grand jury data is not "excluded" from the legislation.
The Law mandates the government to release to the public "all unclassified records, documents, correspondence, and investigatory data" but does not specifically refer to grand jury data.
Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, July 2, 2020, in New York.John Minchillo/AP
In lodging its appeal on Nov. 21, DOJ attorneys requested the court to act swiftly to enable compliance with the 30-day timeframe established by the Epstein files statute, which gained unanimous consent in the Senate and passed by a tally of 427-1 in the House.
The recent appeal concerns federal grand jury transcripts spanning 2005 to 2007 — during the initial federal inquiry into Epstein in Florida.
DOJ similarly requested the court to cancel the protective order over the matter, adding it will strive to "make proper redactions of victim-related details and other personal identifying data."
The present request follows DOJ’s prior appeals to courts in New York and Florida over the summer to unveil grand jury material in cases concerning both Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) stands in front of accusers and survivors as he speaks during a press conference to discuss the Epstein Files Transparency bill, directing the release of the remaining files related to the investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 3, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Those appeals arose amid widespread indignation regarding the administration's handling of the Epstein situation — after the DOJ published a memorandum asserting the absence of evidence that Epstein maintained a "client directory" whom he subjected to blackmail or plotted with, and validating that he committed suicide while in custody in his prison cell in Manhattan in 2019, awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking accusations.
The preceding appeals to unseal grand jury information were ultimately rebuffed by judges.
Maxwell, who has consistently refuted any culpability, is presently serving a 20-year incarceration term in Texas for offenses including child sex trafficking and other transgressions connected to Epstein.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
