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A US federal judge has ordered that more grand jury records connected to Jeffrey Epstein be made public, in the latest legal move to lift secrecy from documents linked to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
New York District Judge Richard Berman ruled on Wednesday that records from the July 2019 proceedings against Epstein should be unsealed. Those charges, considered the most serious brought against him, accused Epstein of sexually exploiting underage girls. The case was never concluded because Epstein was found dead in his prison cell just weeks later while awaiting trial.
Grand jury material usually is kept strictly confidential, but Judge Berman based his decision on new legislation signed by President Donald Trump last month. The law requires the US Justice Department to release all unclassified records related to Epstein by December 19, reflecting mounting political and public pressure for greater transparency.
The ruling follows a series of similar court decisions in recent days. On Tuesday, another federal judge approved the release of grand jury documents from the investigation into Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for crimes including the sex trafficking of a minor.
Last Friday, a court in Florida also ordered the disclosure of grand jury transcripts linked to Epstein’s 2008 case in which he pleaded guilty to a state charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
However, it remains unclear whether the newly unsealed material will reveal significant new information, or when and in what form the Justice Department will make the documents available to the public.
President Trump, who once socialised with Epstein, had for months resisted the release of related files held by federal authorities. During that period, he and his political supporters promoted claims that powerful Democrats were being shielded from scrutiny, framing the Epstein affair as evidence of elite protection and institutional failure.
Tensions escalated in July when the FBI and Justice Department issued a memo stating that their “exhaustive review” of Epstein-related records had uncovered no evidence justifying further investigations. The statement provoked backlash from lawmakers and the public alike.
Under growing pressure from members of Congress, including fellow Republicans, Trump ultimately signed the bill mandating the disclosure, clearing the way for one of the most extensive releases yet of official material tied to the Epstein case.
