DOJ asks judges to authorize release of Epstein and Maxwell grand jury material

A bill mandating the release of the Epstein files was recently signed into law.

Facing a 30-day deadline to release the Epstein files, the Department of Justice has asked two judges in the Southern District of New York to authorize the release of grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton -- whom Attorney General Pam Bondi tapped to lead an investigation into prominent Democrats associated with Epstein -- signed a motion asking the judges who oversaw the Epstein and Maxwell cases to approve the release of the grand jury materials, subject to the necessary redactions.

"In the light of the Act's clear mandate, the Court should authorize the Department of Justice to release the grand jury transcripts and exhibits and modify any preexisting protective orders that would otherwise prevent public disclosure by the Government of materials the disclosure of which is required by the Act," the motions said, referring to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, recently signed into law by President Donald Trump.

While the motion noted that the law allows redactions to seal materials that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution," the filings did not mention the recently initiated investigation into Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman ordered by Trump.

Citing the 30-day deadline, the Department of Justice requested an expedited ruling on the motion and said it would "work with the relevant United States Attorney's Offices to make appropriate redactions of victim-related and other personal identifying information."

One of the judges subsequently signaled plans to issue a decision about releasing the grand jury material related to Maxwell by mid-December.

Noting that the Department of Justice's motion was "silent as to the rights of victims," U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer set deadlines for the victims of Maxwell's crimes to weigh in by Dec. 3. He also ordered Maxwell to decide whether she'd object to the release by the same date.

The Department of Justice faces a deadline to respond by Dec. 10, after which Engelmayer said he would issue a decision.

The Department of Justice unsuccessfully sought approval to unseal the grand jury records in August, with both judges concluding that the government did not demonstrate a legal basis to release the materials. In one decision, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman sharply criticized the DOJ for asking the court to get involved when the government already had the relevant files in its possession.

"The instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government's possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct," he wrote.

"The Government's complete information trove would better inform the public about the Epstein case," he added.