A federal judge in New York has authorized the Justice Department to unseal a wide range of records from the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer follows the recent enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and marks the second such ruling in less than a week.
Judge Engelmayer’s order permits the release of grand jury transcripts, financial records, travel documents, notes from victim interviews, and pretrial evidence shared between prosecutors and Maxwell’s defense.
The materials will be redacted to safeguard victims’ identities and privacy.
The Justice Department has not announced a specific release date, and some documents may overlap with evidence already made public during Maxwell’s 2021 trial or recent congressional disclosures.
Engelmayer noted that the new law’s broad language explicitly covers grand jury materials previously shielded by traditional confidentiality rules.
The ruling aligns with a similar order issued December 5 by a federal judge in Florida, who authorized the unsealing of grand jury records from Epstein’s abandoned 2005-2007 investigation.
Both decisions stem from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law last month, which requires the release of unclassified investigative files related to Epstein and Maxwell.
Victims have long advocated for greater disclosure to examine whether Epstein’s powerful acquaintances influenced earlier investigations.
The Justice Department has committed to enhanced redactions moving forward, even for victim information previously made public.
Additional requests to seal records in Epstein-related cases remain pending before other judges.