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Deadline: Legal Blog-Judge rejects Trump bid to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts in Florida
The administration has a separate pending effort to release Epstein-related grand jury transcripts in New York.
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury-transcripts-florida-rcna220605
The Trump administration just faced another legal setback in its effort to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Jeffrey Epstein, as a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday rejected the government’s bid to unseal Epstein-related transcripts from investigations in that state.
The rejection follows Tuesday’s orders from federal judges in New York that told the Justice Department its motions to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in that state were inadequate. The New York judges gave the DOJ a week to try again and said Maxwell, an Epstein representative and victims can also weigh in by Aug. 5......
The flurry of judicial activity comes amid unusual political backlash that President Donald Trump is attempting to fend off, as even some supporters have questioned his administration’s commitment to releasing the full scope of information related to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while being held on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking-related crimes and is appealing her convictions to the Supreme Court. The Justice Department formally opposed her pending high court petition last week, and this week the DOJ announced it wants to meet with Maxwell, whom the House Oversight Committee separately has subpoenaed for a deposition in prison on Aug. 11. She currently has a release date in 2037......
In the Florida grand jury litigation, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg said in an order that her “hands are tied” when it comes to unsealing — a point that she said the government conceded in the litigation. The Obama-appointed judge said the government couldn’t justify the disclosure based on the federal criminal procedural rules and precedent in the federal circuit covering Florida. She noted that different precedent controls in the federal circuit covering New York.
So, while the Florida denial doesn’t mean the New York transcripts will necessarily stay sealed, whether they do depends on additional forthcoming filings and litigation there.
The rejection follows Tuesday’s orders from federal judges in New York that told the Justice Department its motions to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in that state were inadequate. The New York judges gave the DOJ a week to try again and said Maxwell, an Epstein representative and victims can also weigh in by Aug. 5......
The flurry of judicial activity comes amid unusual political backlash that President Donald Trump is attempting to fend off, as even some supporters have questioned his administration’s commitment to releasing the full scope of information related to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while being held on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking-related crimes and is appealing her convictions to the Supreme Court. The Justice Department formally opposed her pending high court petition last week, and this week the DOJ announced it wants to meet with Maxwell, whom the House Oversight Committee separately has subpoenaed for a deposition in prison on Aug. 11. She currently has a release date in 2037......
In the Florida grand jury litigation, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg said in an order that her “hands are tied” when it comes to unsealing — a point that she said the government conceded in the litigation. The Obama-appointed judge said the government couldn’t justify the disclosure based on the federal criminal procedural rules and precedent in the federal circuit covering Florida. She noted that different precedent controls in the federal circuit covering New York.
So, while the Florida denial doesn’t mean the New York transcripts will necessarily stay sealed, whether they do depends on additional forthcoming filings and litigation there.