Judge Allows Secret Grand Jury Files in 2019 Jeffrey Epstein Case to Be Unsealed

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that previously sealed grand jury records from the 2019 sex-trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein can be publicly released.

The decision comes after the passage of a new law mandating wider transparency of documents related to Epstein and his associates.

Under the order, roughly 70 pages of grand jury transcripts, along with a PowerPoint presentation and a call log, may be unsealed.

The materials largely consist of testimony from a single FBI agent, who itself admitted at the time to having no direct knowledge of Epstein’s alleged crimes. Judges involved in earlier denials said these transcripts contained mostly hearsay and “added little if anything beyond what was already public.”

Nevertheless, the court determined the new statute signed into law in November 2025 overrides prior secrecy protections, requiring unsealing unless specific exemptions apply.

The ruling stipulates protections for victims: any information that could identify them must be redacted before release.

Though the newly unsealed records are unlikely to expose dramatic new revelations as previous court reviews found, the decision satisfies long-standing public and political calls for transparency into the Epstein investigation.

It may also pave the way for additional records from related investigations, including those involving his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

This marks a turning point in one of the most controversial and scrutinized criminal investigations in recent U.S. history and opens the door for broader scrutiny of federal procedures in high-profile sex trafficking cases.

Sources: Associated Press; Reuters; Washington Post; Al Jazeera; PBS News