A federal judge in New York has ordered the public release of grand jury materials from the investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking activities. US District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued the ruling, stating that mechanisms would be implemented to safeguard victims from information that could identify them or compromise their privacy.
Judge Engelmayer cited a recent law enacted by Congress as the basis for his decision. This legislation mandates the Department of Justice to publish files associated with financier Jeffrey Epstein by the end of the upcoming week.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her involvement in luring underage girls for Epstein, her former boyfriend, who died in prison in 2019. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence. Prosecutors presented arguments during her trial that Maxwell recruited and groomed girls, some as young as 14, between 1994 and 2004, prior to their abuse by Epstein.
In August, Maxwell was transferred from a Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas, following an interview with Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche concerning Epstein. Her legal team informed Judge Engelmayer in a letter that she did not adopt a position on the Department of Justice's request to release the grand jury material.
Representative Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, commented on the unsealing, stating that it represents "a victory for transparency." He also affirmed that these files are now part of the Epstein files held by the Department of Justice and must be provided to the Oversight Committee in response to its subpoena.
This order for publication follows a similar ruling issued by a Florida judge on Friday, which permitted the unsealing of documents related to the state's 2005 investigation against Epstein.
The Congressional act, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November. The law specifies that it applies to "unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" pertinent to Epstein and Maxwell, according to a court order.
The Department of Justice has until December 19 to release all federal investigation information concerning Epstein. However, the law provides for the withholding of files related to active criminal investigations or those raising privacy concerns.
Previously, judges in both Florida and New York had declined to unseal grand jury materials associated with Epstein, citing federal rules that mandate the confidentiality of grand jury proceedings. The Department of Justice subsequently made the request for release after the new Congressional bill passed, arguing that the legislation's "clear mandate" should supersede these established secrecy rules.