A federal judge in Florida has rejected the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury records tied to the criminal investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. The reason: prosecutors didn’t follow the proper legal process.
Judge Robin Rosenberg said the DOJ’s request was based on “extensive public interest” — not on a valid judicial proceeding, which is the standard required in these cases. In her words, “my hands are tied.”
The move marks a major setback in the DOJ’s effort to ease public outrage over how the Epstein case was handled.
Facing growing backlash from bipartisan lawmakers and members of the public, including some of Donald Trump most ardent supporters, the president last week called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to file court motions pursuing the release of the grand jury testimony to the public.
However, the records the DOJ is asking to release make up only a small slice of the thousands of documents tied to the Epstein investigation — and leave out the bulk of evidence gathered during the probe. Much of it is already in the government’s possession and may never have been shown to the grand jury at all.
Because the grand jury case remains sealed, Judge Rosenberg ordered a new public file to be created — one that includes the DOJ’s request and her ruling.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department made its position clear in a memo: no more documents will be released. The memo also pushed back on two of the most talked-about claims surrounding Epstein. It stated there’s “no evidence that Epstein had a list of powerful men” tied to his alleged sex trafficking ring. It also said Epstein “was not murdered in his New York jail cell.”
Most Americans aren’t buying the DOJ’s claims — and some are even speculating that Trump himself could be on the list in the Epstein files.
