Florida Judge Orders Release of Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury Records

A federal judge in Florida has ordered the public release of records from grand jury investigations involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, conducted in 2005 and 2007.

In a ruling issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith said a newly enacted law requires the disclosure of nearly all Epstein-related investigative records held by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), overriding long-standing rules that keep grand jury materials secret.

Judge Smith, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, noted that the law “trumps” traditional confidentiality protections surrounding grand jury proceedings. His decision adds to the growing volume of documents tied to Epstein that are expected to be released to the public in the coming weeks.

However, judges in both Florida and New York have previously indicated that the grand jury materials themselves are limited in scope and unlikely to reveal significant new information about Epstein or his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, Epstein’s one-time girlfriend, was convicted of sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. She is reportedly seeking a presidential pardon.

Smith’s order did not specify a timeline for releasing the grand jury records. Under the law signed by Trump last month, the Justice Department is required to disclose hundreds of thousands of pages of Epstein- and Maxwell-related documents by December 19.

Earlier this year, three federal judges denied DOJ requests to unseal grand jury transcripts, ruling that public interest—even at heightened levels—did not outweigh federal laws mandating secrecy in grand jury proceedings.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in custody and awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.