A federal judge in Florida ordered the Justice Department on Friday (December 5) to release grand jury transcripts from the sex-trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein – documents long sought for their potential insight into the disgraced financier’s connections to influential figures, including President Donald Trump.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith approved the move after the Justice Department requested permission to unseal the records.
The request followed Congress passing a law requiring the attorney general to release all unclassified files related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Trump reverses position on release
Trump had previously opposed unsealing the Epstein files, but changed his stance shortly before lawmakers voted on the disclosure bill he signed on Nov. 19. The turnaround came amid renewed cross-party political pressure.
The documents are expected to spark interest from both Trump’s critics and parts of his own political base, many of whom have pushed for transparency around Epstein’s network and the circumstances of his 2019 death in a Manhattan prison — ruled a suicide.
Trump calls focus on case ‘Democratic fraud’
In recent months, Trump has changed his rhetoric, arguing that the renewed scrutiny of Epstein is a “Democratic fraud” designed to undermine his administration and distract from what he calls its achievements.
The timing and content of the soon-to-be-released transcripts are expected to further fuel debate in Washington and among the public as the politically explosive case resurfaces.
