A federal judge in Florida has denied a request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Justice Department made the request following pressure from President Donald Trump, who had publicly urged his attorney general to pursue the release of Epstein-related records amid mounting criticism from his base over transparency.
President Trump has faced growing backlash from some of his most loyal supporters after the DOJ and FBI released a memo stating that a comprehensive review of the Epstein case found no “incriminating client list,” no evidence of blackmail involving prominent individuals, and no grounds to charge additional parties.
The court order issued Wednesday relates specifically to Epstein’s Florida case. In 2008, Epstein reached a controversial deal with federal prosecutors that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution, including from a minor. He served 13 months in the Palm Beach County jail.
The judge ruled that the government failed to demonstrate a strong enough legal basis to justify unsealing the typically secret grand jury materials. The court also denied a separate request to transfer the sealed documents to the Southern District of New York, where prosecutors hoped another court might consider releasing them.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in New York.
