Obama-Appointed Judge Blocks DOJ Effort to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Records

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the Florida investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg, appointed by President Obama and based in Florida, ruled that the DOJ did not provide sufficient justification to release the grand jury records from West Palm Beach, covering the years 2005 to 2007. Rosenberg also denied the DOJ’s request to transfer the case to the Southern District of New York.

According to Reuters, “A U.S. judge on Wednesday denied a U.S. Justice Department bid to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in South Florida, the first ruling in a series of attempts by President Donald Trump’s administration to release more information on the case.”

The DOJ’s efforts were linked to federal investigations into Epstein from 2005 and 2007. Additional requests are still pending in Manhattan federal court regarding a later indictment of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Judge Rosenberg determined that the DOJ’s request did not meet the legal exceptions that allow grand jury material to be disclosed.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has also submitted a separate request to Judge Paul Engelmayer in New York—another Obama appointee—to unseal grand jury records tied to Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking indictment and Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2020 charges involving the trafficking and coercion of minors.

Judge Engelmayer responded by outlining several requirements the DOJ must meet before any grand jury transcripts can be released. “Engelmayer said he needs more information before he unseals grand jury transcripts.”