A Florida federal judge on Friday authorised the US Justice Department to release grand jury transcripts from its sex-trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein — a move that could reveal new information about the late financier’s connections to several influential individuals, including President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department sought approval from US District Judge Rodney Smith after the Republican-led Congress passed a new bill compelling the Attorney General to disclose all unclassified files related to investigations into Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Former President Donald Trump, who has publicly stated that he ended his friendship with Epstein well before the latter’s 2019 arrest, initially opposed releasing these documents. However, he reversed his stance shortly before lawmakers voted on the bipartisan transparency bill, which he ultimately signed into law on November 19.
Both critics of Trump and members of his own political base have been eagerly awaiting the release of these files. Many Trump supporters believe his administration concealed vital details about Epstein’s connections to powerful individuals and obscured the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death in 2019, ruled a suicide in a Manhattan jail while awaiting federal charges.
The Epstein scandal has continued to trouble Trump for months. During his earlier campaign rallies, he echoed — and at times amplified — conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death, energizing parts of his voter base. But more recently, Trump has shifted his narrative, claiming that the renewed focus on the Epstein files is a Democratic attempt to divert attention from key accomplishments of his administration.
The release of the grand jury transcripts is expected to intensify political debates surrounding Epstein’s ties, the handling of the case, and the broader networks of influence that have long been speculated upon.