Judge Paul Engelmayer's decision comes amid calls from the Justice Department to unseal the documents in response to frustrations from supporters of former President Donald Trump, concerning the handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell's former associate and deceased sex offender. Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence, opposed the unsealing effort. Engelmayer stated that publicizing the grand jury materials would not yield any significant new information, given that the majority of what was discussed has already been revealed during Maxwell's earlier trial.
The judge underscored that any breach of grand jury secrecy could disrupt the system, possibly deterring witnesses from coming forward and jurors from focusing just on case merits. He reaffirmed that despite some public familiarity with the trial, the materials "do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell" regarding sexual misconduct involving minors.
Maxwell, 63, recently transitioned to a minimum-security facility in Texas. Following her conviction in December 2019, an accuser expressed a desire for her to remain imprisoned for life. While under Trump's directive, the Justice Department sought to gather and disclose credible evidence concerning Epstein; however, both the DOJ and FBI concluded that Epstein did not maintain a client list, which curtailed further public disclosures. Following these developments, Trump suggested that his former attorney, Pam Bondi, should release whatever evidence she deemed credible. In parallel, a congressional committee has issued a subpoena to investigate the federal inquiries into the Epstein-Maxwell case dating back two decades.
The judge underscored that any breach of grand jury secrecy could disrupt the system, possibly deterring witnesses from coming forward and jurors from focusing just on case merits. He reaffirmed that despite some public familiarity with the trial, the materials "do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell" regarding sexual misconduct involving minors.
Maxwell, 63, recently transitioned to a minimum-security facility in Texas. Following her conviction in December 2019, an accuser expressed a desire for her to remain imprisoned for life. While under Trump's directive, the Justice Department sought to gather and disclose credible evidence concerning Epstein; however, both the DOJ and FBI concluded that Epstein did not maintain a client list, which curtailed further public disclosures. Following these developments, Trump suggested that his former attorney, Pam Bondi, should release whatever evidence she deemed credible. In parallel, a congressional committee has issued a subpoena to investigate the federal inquiries into the Epstein-Maxwell case dating back two decades.
