A federal judge in New York has denied the Justice Department’s request to release grand jury records tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said prosecutors failed to meet their burden of showing why disclosure was necessary or legally justified. He also noted that much of the material was already public through prior proceedings, filings or media reporting.
The Justice Department made the request in July amid pressure from President Donald Trump’s supporters for greater transparency in the case.
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The ruling came shortly after a Wall Street Journal report alleged that Trump sent Epstein a lewd birthday letter in 2003. Trump denied the report, calling it false, and later filed a libel lawsuit against the newspaper, its parent company and the reporters involved.
That report followed a joint memo from the DOJ and FBI stating they had not uncovered a so-called Epstein “client list.” Many Trump supporters expressed frustration with the findings, having believed such a list existed and would be made public.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi distributed binders labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” to online influencers — a move that drew criticism because much of the content was either already public or heavily redacted.
This marks the third time courts have rejected government attempts to unseal grand jury materials connected to Epstein. Previous denials involved a related case in Florida and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
