Judge Rejects DOJ's Bid to Unseal Epstein Records, Calls It Diversion Tactic

Last Updated:August 21, 2025, 06:21 IST

Criticism has mounted against former President Donald Trump and the DOJ for their decision earlier this year not to make the Epstein files public.

The FBI and DOJ declared their closure in The judge turned down the motion to unseal the grand jury indictment from 2019

A US federal judge has rejected the Justice Department’s latest attempt to unseal grand jury records related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case. On Wednesday, US District Judge Richard Berman, based in Manhattan, ruled against the Department of Justice (DOJ), stating that the Trump administration is in a better position to release materials concerning the late financier and convicted sex offender, reported Reuters.

The judge turned down the motion to unseal the grand jury indictment from 2019, criticising the DOJ’s approach as a distraction. “The instant grand jury motion appears to be a ‘diversion’ from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government’s possession," Berman wrote in his decision. He pointed out that the Trump administration had already chosen not to release those files in July despite its own investigation.

Criticism has mounted against former President Donald Trump and the DOJ for their decision earlier this year not to make the Epstein files public. In July, Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval to unseal grand jury materials. However, grand jury proceedings, designed to protect the integrity of criminal investigations, cannot be made public without judicial approval.

During his 2024 election campaign, Trump had vowed to release the Epstein files, claiming that Democrats were concealing the truth. However, the DOJ’s July memo dismissed the existence of any so-called “Epstein client list" and reiterated that Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial.

Epstein was arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking minors but was found dead in his jail cell in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty at the time of his arrest. His sudden death, coupled with his connections to high-profile political and business figures, sparked a wave of conspiracy theories alleging a cover-up.

On August 11, another Manhattan judge, Paul Engelmayer, similarly rejected a DOJ request to unseal grand jury evidence related to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate. Maxwell, who was convicted of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. She had pleaded not guilty and, after losing an appeal, has requested the US Supreme Court to review her case.

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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published:

August 21, 2025, 06:21 IST

News world Judge Rejects DOJ's Bid to Unseal Epstein Records, Calls It Diversion Tactic

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