These judges will decide whether to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Two federal judges in Manhattan will decide whether to release grand jury testimony in the criminal cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Here’s what to know:

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer will decide whether to release grand jury testimony from the criminal case of Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The DOJ filed a motion on Friday to release grand jury transcripts tied to both Epstein and Maxwell, citing public interest. Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 of sex trafficking charges and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Read the motion.
Engelmayer previously faced Republican demands for impeachment after blocking DOGE from accessing sensitive Treasury Department records.
A DOJ memo released on July 7 concluded that Epstein died by suicide and said there was "no incriminating client list" or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people. Facing mounting pressure to release the Epstein files, Trump said he directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask a court to release grand jury testimony about Epstein. That request will be handled by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman.
Engelmayer was appointed to the bench by President Obama and Berman is an appointee of President Clinton.
Each case could take several months or longer to resolve, followed by possible appeals, and any unsealed transcripts are likely to be redacted, reflecting privacy or security concerns.

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