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At Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi’s route, the Division of Justice (DOJ) on Friday formally moved to unseal long-secret grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case, citing what it referred to as intense public curiosity within the infamous intercourse trafficking investigation.
Deputy Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche submitted the movement in Manhattan federal court docket, urging a decide to launch the transcripts from Epstein’s 2019 grand jury proceedings and people from the prosecution of Epstein’s convicted affiliate, Ghislaine Maxwell, as a part of a brand new transparency push by the division.
Earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI issued a memorandum describing an “exhaustive evaluation” of their Epstein investigative recordsdata. That inner evaluation sought to find out if any proof might justify charging further people, however it concluded that “no such proof was uncovered” towards any uncharged third events.
For the reason that memo’s July 6 launch, officers say, public curiosity in its conclusions has remained excessive.
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On this 2005 photograph, notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein poses along with his arm round longtime confidante and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Pictures)
Whereas the division maintains it stands by the memo’s findings, the submitting emphasizes that “transparency to the American public is of the utmost significance to this Administration.” Given the extraordinary public curiosity, the DOJ advised the court docket it’s transferring to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts to make clear its investigative work within the Epstein matter.
The DOJ mentioned it’s going to work with prosecutors to redact all sufferer names and private figuring out data from the transcripts earlier than any launch.
“Transparency on this course of is not going to be on the expense of our obligation beneath the legislation to guard victims,” the movement assured.
Epstein, 66, was indicted by a New York grand jury July 2, 2019, on intercourse trafficking costs. Simply over a month later, on Aug. 10, 2019, he died by suicide in his jail cell whereas awaiting trial, and the case was dismissed.
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The DOJ’s submitting claims it’s going to defend the privateness of Epstein’s victims whereas unsealing grand jury proof. (Getty Pictures)
Epstein’s longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, was indicted by a grand jury in 2020 on a number of counts associated to trafficking and coercing minors.
She was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to twenty years in jail. Maxwell’s convictions have been upheld on attraction in 2024, and he or she is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Courtroom to evaluation her case.
Grand jury proceedings are ordinarily secret by legislation, or because the movement says, “a practice of legislation that proceedings earlier than a grand jury shall usually stay secret.” However the submitting notes this custom “just isn’t absolute.”
Federal courts have acknowledged “sure ‘particular circumstances’” the place releasing grand jury information is acceptable even exterior the same old exceptions, like when a case holds important public or historic significance.
The Division of Justice moved Friday to launch proof and testimony from the grand juries of each Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. (U.S. Division of Justice/Mega)
The DOJ argues Epstein’s case is precisely such a particular circumstance given its unparalleled notoriety.
“Public officers, lawmakers, pundits, and atypical residents stay deeply and anxious concerning the Epstein matter,” the movement notes.
The movement factors out {that a} Florida decide final yr ordered the discharge of some Epstein grand jury information after concluding the financier was “essentially the most notorious pedophile in American historical past” and that the info of Epstein’s case “inform a story of nationwide shame.”
By the DOJ’s account, the sealed grand jury transcripts are “crucial items of an essential second in our nation’s historical past,” and “[t]he time for the general public to guess what they comprise ought to finish.”
The movement stresses that Epstein’s loss of life means any privateness pursuits on his aspect are actually “considerably diminished.” And although Maxwell remains to be combating her conviction, prosecutors mentioned the extraordinary public scrutiny across the Epstein saga justifies urgent forward with unsealing now.
For these causes, the DOJ is urging the court docket to conclude that the Epstein and Maxwell instances qualify as issues of public curiosity and to grant the unsealing of the grand jury transcripts whereas lifting any protecting orders.
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The unsealing would shine unprecedented mild on considered one of America’s most infamous prison instances, a transfer the division says is legally justified and obligatory within the title of public accountability.
The DOJ didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
Fox Information’ Mike Ruiz contributed to this report.
