A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts from earlier investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing legal restrictions governing grand jury secrecy. In a separate development, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, demanding her testimony next month.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg dealt a blow to the administration’s efforts to release materials from Epstein’s 2005 and 2007 grand jury proceedings in the Southern District of Florida. The Justice Department had argued that the public’s interest in the matter—and Epstein’s death in 2019—justified lifting the normally strict confidentiality of grand jury records.
But Judge Rosenberg disagreed, writing in a 12-page opinion that grand jury secrecy rules under the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals still apply. She emphasized that the government failed to demonstrate that it was seeking the transcripts for use in an ongoing judicial proceeding—one of the few exceptions that would allow their release.
“Absent a judicial proceeding in which the material is needed, the law does not permit the release of grand jury records, regardless of public interest,” Rosenberg wrote. She also denied the administration’s request to transfer the case to the Southern District of New York, where Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Subpoena for Maxwell
Meanwhile, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform escalated its own investigation into Epstein’s network. On Wednesday, Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) issued a subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offenses related to Epstein’s abuse ring.
Maxwell has been ordered to testify on August 11 at the federal correctional institution in Tallahassee, Florida. The subpoena follows a motion introduced Tuesday by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) during a Government Operations Subcommittee hearing. The motion passed by voice vote, signaling bipartisan support to hear from Maxwell directly.
“The facts and circumstances surrounding both your and Mr. Epstein’s cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny,” Comer wrote in a formal statement accompanying the subpoena.
Political Pressure Builds
Both actions reflect the growing pressure on the Trump administration to shed more light on Epstein’s vast and murky web of political, financial, and social connections. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been publicly leading the administration’s effort, filed the court motion last week, asserting that grand jury secrecy no longer served a legal or moral purpose following Epstein’s death.
“Public officials, lawmakers, pundits and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter,” wrote Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche. “The time for the public to guess what they contain should end.”
Despite Bondi’s earlier pledge to release further investigative files, she later signed a joint memorandum with the FBI stating that no additional material would be released, drawing sharp criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The administration is also pursuing the release of transcripts from 2019 and 2020 grand jury proceedings in New York, including testimony related to Maxwell. Some of these materials could contain details about Epstein’s alleged “client list”—a subject of intense speculation and conspiracy theories for years.
Maxwell has consistently denied knowledge of any such list, though her trial revealed that numerous high-profile individuals socialized with Epstein over the years. Many remain under a cloud of public suspicion, though no charges have been filed against most of them.
A High-Stakes Legal and Political Fight
For now, Judge Rosenberg’s ruling means that the government must find another legal avenue if it hopes to make the Epstein grand jury records public. Some legal experts suggest that unless Congress passes legislation allowing a broader exception to grand jury secrecy, the documents may remain sealed indefinitely.
Still, the House Oversight Committee’s decision to bring Maxwell in for questioning may renew focus on Epstein’s extensive connections and revive demands for transparency.
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