A judge dismissed a bid from the Trump administration on Wednesday to reveal transcripts from grand jury probes involving Jeffrey Epstein in Florida from years past, although a similar request remains under review in New York.
U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach concluded that the 2005 and 2007 grand jury documents could not be disclosed as they failed to satisfy any rare conditions under federal law that would permit their release to the public.
Last week, the Justice Department appealed to the judge for the release of these documents in hopes of calming unrest among President Donald Trump’s supporters who suspect that there was an effort to shield Epstein’s clients, hide evidence of crimes, and suppress incriminating videos.
In 2008, Epstein cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida that allowed him to escape more severe federal charges and instead plead guilty to state charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution.
The wealthy financier later was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. His former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was charged with helping him abuse teenage girls.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in New York City about a month after he was arrested. Investigators concluded he killed himself. Maxwell later was convicted at trial and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The case attracted attention because of Epstein and Maxwell’s links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires. It also led to some of the biggest conspiracy theories animating Trump’s base.
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