If you were hoping to finally read the secret grand jury testimony that led to Ghislaine Maxwell’s indictment, you’re going to have to wait—possibly forever.
On Monday, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the transcripts will remain sealed. In his written ruling, he said the government’s suggestion that the materials could be released “casually or promiscuously” would risk “unraveling the foundations of secrecy upon which the grand jury is premised.” In other words, opening this door even once could make future witnesses think twice about speaking freely.
The judge also dismissed the idea that releasing them would be harmless just because much of the information was already aired during Maxwell’s 2021 trial. “The same could be said for almost any grand jury testimony,” he wrote, noting that secrecy rules apply even if testimony seems repetitive.
Federal prosecutors had argued that unsealing the records might help calm public suspicion about what the government knew regarding Jeffrey Epstein. The financier and convicted sex offender died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, his longtime companion, was later convicted of helping him target and exploit underage girls.
What’s actually in those transcripts is unclear. The Justice Department has admitted that the only witnesses who testified were law enforcement officers—no victims, no civilians. Prosecutors say most of what was discussed has already come out in court, in civil suits, or through public statements from victims and witnesses.
Maxwell herself has no interest in seeing them released. Her lawyers say she hasn’t seen the transcripts but believes they may contain questionable statements her defense never had the chance to challenge. She’s currently appealing her conviction.
The decision also doesn’t touch the thousands of other Epstein-related pages in the government’s possession. Much of that material remains sealed to protect victims. Prosecutors say if Epstein had gone to trial, little of it would have become public.
This isn’t the only battle over grand jury records linked to Epstein. Another federal judge is still deciding whether to release the testimony from the grand jury that indicted Epstein himself. Back in Florida, a judge already rejected a request to unseal grand jury documents from investigations in 2005 and 2007.
Even Epstein’s victims are split on the issue. Some want the grand jury materials out in the open, with sensitive details redacted, while others say the constant debate is reopening old wounds.
Maxwell was recently moved from a Florida prison to a lower-security facility in Texas and interviewed by the Justice Department. Her attorney says she “testified truthfully” during the process.
For now, though, the judge’s ruling means those grand jury transcripts are staying locked away. And unless another court decides otherwise, the public may never know exactly what was said behind those closed doors.
More News:
- Quick 20 Minute Dinner Recipes That Actually Taste Good
- Whoopi Goldberg Walks Off The View Table, Saying Producers ‘Threw That Admiral Right Under the Bus’
- Instagram CEO orders staff back five days a week in push for a ‘Winning Culture’
- Easy DIY Home Improvement Projects for Beginners
- ‘We’re Paying for Our Own Vote’ Ranchers Blame Trump Decisions for the Bankruptcies Hitting Their Communities