US judge denies Trump's request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell transcripts
What's the story
A United States federal judge has denied the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell. The decision was taken by US District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan. The Justice Department had sought to make these usually confidential documents public, citing "abundant public interest." However, Judge Engelmayer ruled that there were no special circumstances warranting their release.
Ruling details
Judge dismisses government's claims of public interest
Judge Engelmayer dismissed the government's claims that releasing the transcripts would reveal new details about Epstein and Maxwell's crimes or the government's investigation. He wrote, "Its entire premise...is demonstrably false." The judge emphasized that these materials do not provide any fresh insights into clients of Epstein or Maxwell, their wealth sources, or circumstances surrounding Epstein's death.
Case background
Maxwell sentenced to 20 years in prison
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein's sex trafficking ring. She was convicted in 2021 for recruiting underage girls for Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The Justice Department has also sought to release grand jury transcripts from Epstein's case, which is being handled by another judge.
Meeting details
Trump administration's hopes dashed by judge's ruling
In a bid to quell public outcry over the Epstein case, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche recently met with Maxwell. The details of this meeting remain undisclosed. President Donald Trump's administration had hoped that releasing these transcripts would quell anger among his supporters over perceived cover-ups of Epstein's crimes and high-profile connections. However, Judge Engelmayer's ruling has dashed those hopes.