🔗 Share this article

The US Justice Department has made another attempt to obtain access to federal jury materials from the inquiry into the disgraced financier, which resulted in his sex-trafficking charges in 2019.

Legislative Move Spurs Fresh Legal Initiative

The newly submitted petition, signed by the government lawyer for the southern district, states that legislators made it clear when approving the publication of investigative materials that these court records should be unsealed.

"The congressional action took precedence over standing rules in a manner that enables the release of the grand jury records," stated the justice department.

Timing Factors

The legal document petitioned the Manhattan federal court to move swiftly in releasing the records, noting the 30-day period created after the measure was signed into law last week.

Prior Motion Met Rejection

However, this latest attempt comes after a prior petition from the previous administration was rejected by Judge Richard Berman, who cited a "significant and compelling reason" for preserving the records sealed.

In his August ruling, the judge observed that the seventy pages of grand jury transcripts and exhibits, featuring a digital presentation, phone records, and correspondence from affected individuals and their legal representatives, are minimal compared to the government's extensive collection of case-related materials.

"The prosecution's hundred thousand pages of case documents overshadow the limited grand jury materials," noted Berman in his judgment, observing that the petition appeared to be a "diversion" from disclosing files already in the authorities' custody.

Substance of the Grand Jury Materials

The sealed records largely contain the statement of an government agent, who served as the lone witness in the grand jury proceedings and reportedly had "little firsthand information of the investigative specifics" with testimony that was "mostly hearsay."

Security Considerations

Judge Berman highlighted the "potential dangers to victims' safety and personal information" as the persuasive factor for keeping the documents restricted.

Parallel Legal Matter

A comparable petition to release sealed witness accounts relating to the prosecution of Epstein's co-conspirator was also denied, with the judicial officer noting that the federal petition incorrectly indicated the grand jury materials contained an "untapped mine lode of undisclosed information" about the proceedings.

Ongoing Developments

The current motion comes soon after the assignment of a recently assigned lawyer to investigate his associations with well-known politicians and a few months after the firing of one of the lead prosecutors working on the proceedings.

When inquired about how the ongoing investigation might affect the disclosure of case materials in federal custody, the Attorney General responded: "We're not going to say on that because it is now a ongoing inquiry in the southern district."