By Mariane Angela
The Department of Justice (DOJ) formally petitioned a Manhattan federal judge on Friday to unseal grand jury testimony from the Jeffrey Epstein prosecution.
Federal prosecutors filed the request in the Manhattan Federal District Court, where Epstein awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges before his death by suicide in a jail cell six years ago, according to The New York Times. The New York City medical examiner officially ruled Epstein’s death a suicide.
The DOJ also asked the court to unseal testimony from the grand jury proceedings involving Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate. Maxwell received a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction on charges of aiding Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme. Her case remains on appeal.
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 08: US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman announces charges against Jeffery Epstein on July 8, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
The request to unseal Epstein’s grand jury testimony now rests with Judge Richard M. Berman, appointed to the federal bench by former President Bill Clinton in 1998. Berman presided over Epstein’s case prior to his death.
Friday’s court filings followed President Donald Trump’s announcement on social media Thursday evening, authorizing Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all relevant grand jury testimony, pending court approval. (RELATED: Mike Johnson Says WSJ Is ‘Literally Making Things Up’ About Trump’s Involvement With Epstein)
“Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now,” Trump wrote.
Bondi responded on X and said that her team is ready to ask the court to unseal the grand jury transcripts. A judge must approve the release, but that decision may take time and likely won’t happen right away.
Trump has acknowledged his past friendship with Epstein but said they severed ties in 2004 after a “falling out,” according to The New York Times. Authorities arrested Epstein two years later on felony charges for soliciting prostitution.
Media attention intensified after the DOJ and FBI concluded earlier in July that there’s no evidence that Epstein kept a “client list” or was murdered, according to a memo obtained by Axios. Their review found no proof he blackmailed powerful individuals or was the target of foul play. House Democrats, led by California Rep. Ro Khanna, pushed a resolution to force Bondi to release all Epstein-related files, but Republicans in both chambers blocked the effort in a procedural vote on Tuesday.
