Court rejects Department of Justice's bid to disclose Epstein's grand jury transcripts

The Trump administration's plan to share other files related to Jeffrey Epstein with Congress later this week has been overshadowed by a recent decision made by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman. Berman has denied the Department of Justice's (DOJ) request to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein's criminal case.

This denial marks the third and final time a federal judge has turned down the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury materials. The administration has been dealing with the fallout from its decision not to release materials related to the Epstein investigation.

Judge Berman sharply criticized the Trump administration for seeking to unseal the grand jury records when the DOJ already has hundreds of thousands of pages of files related to Epstein in its possession. He added that the Government's complete information trove would better inform the public about the Epstein case.

The grand jury materials consist of transcripts, a PowerPoint slideshow, and a call log. However, the FBI agent whose testimony is included in the materials did not have direct knowledge of the Epstein case. Judge Berman wrote that the grand jury testimony is merely a "hearsay snippet" of Epstein's alleged conduct.

Judge Berman also expressed concerns about the potential threats to victims' safety and privacy if the grand jury records were released. He rejected Epstein's motion to be released on bail while awaiting trial in 2019, and presided over Epstein's criminal case on child sex trafficking charges in 2019.

It is important to note that the court's decision effectively ends the DOJ's attempt to release grand jury materials in the case. The decision process for the release of these materials was led by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer in New York in 2021.

Meanwhile, there has been no update regarding Trump calling on a Federal Reserve governor to resign, or the news event involving possibly radioactive shrimp sold at Walmart.

As the Epstein case continues to unfold, it is clear that the release of grand jury materials will remain a contentious issue. The public will continue to follow the developments closely, as more information comes to light.