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A federal judge on Monday denied the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury materials from Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case, ruling that the transcripts would reveal no meaningful new information about her or Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, issued a 31-page decision rejecting arguments that public interest justified lifting the traditional secrecy of grand jury proceedings.
“The Maxwell grand jury testimony is not a matter of significant historical or public interest,” Engelmayer wrote. “Far from it. It consists of garden-variety summary testimony by two law enforcement agents.”
The Justice Department sought to make the records public as political pressure grew from allies of former President Donald Trump, who last month directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release “any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony” in the Epstein case.
Supporters hoped the transcripts might shed light on Epstein’s network of wealthy and politically connected associates. But Engelmayer said the records identify no one beyond Epstein and Maxwell as having sexual contact with a minor and do not name any “clients” or disclose new details about their alleged crimes.
“They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes,” he wrote. “They do not reveal new venues at which their crimes occurred. They do not reveal new sources of their wealth. They do not explore the circumstances of Epstein’s death. They do not reveal the path of the Government’s investigation.”
Evidence from the Maxwell grand jury sessions largely mirrors material already introduced at trial or reported through victim and witness statements, Engelmayer noted. This includes testimony from women abused as minors, former employees, law enforcement officials, photographs, flight logs, and Epstein’s address book.
The judge criticized the DOJ’s reasoning, saying it “fails at the threshold” because it rests on the “demonstrably false” premise that the transcripts would significantly expand public knowledge of the case.
Engelmayer’s ruling leaves the grand jury materials sealed, reinforcing the long-standing principle of confidentiality in such proceedings.
