‘Aimed not at transparency but at diversion’: Judge shuts down DOJ attempt to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell’s grand jury records

A federal judge has denied a request by Trump’s Justice Department to make public the grand jury transcripts and exhibits from the Ghislaine Maxwell case, calling the government’s main argument “demonstrably false.” The ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in New York, implies that the government’s effort was not really about being open with the public but was more about shifting attention.

As reported by MSNBC, this decision comes at a time when there is growing political debate over how information related to Jeffrey Epstein has been handled. Epstein’s death in 2019 led to Maxwell being prosecuted. Judge Engelmayer’s thorough opinion dismantled the government’s stated reasons for wanting to release the documents.

The Justice Department had claimed that making the grand jury materials public would provide new details about the crimes of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, as well as about the government’s investigation into them. However, Engelmayer pointed out that the grand jury in Maxwell’s case did not hear directly from victims or witnesses. Instead, he explained, its job was simply the standard process of approving an indictment.

Judge smacks down Trump’s attempt at distracting the public

The judge also stated, “for the quotidian purpose of returning an indictment, is today, with only very minor exceptions, a matter of public record.” He concluded that anyone who followed the trial would find almost nothing new in the records the government wanted to unseal. Specifically, the judge noted that the documents do not identify anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.

The statement said, “A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government’s motion for their unsealing was aimed not at ‘transparency’ but at diversion — aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such. A member of the public familiar with the Maxwell trial record who reviewed the grand jury materials that the Government proposes to unseal would thus learn next to nothing new,” and the materials “do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.”

Rather than revealing new information, Judge Engelmayer argued that releasing the documents would only highlight how misleading the government’s claims were. He wrote that the public might reasonably believe the request to unseal the records was not about real transparency but was instead a “diversion”—an attempt to create the false appearance of openness. This perception, the judge suggested, would show that the government’s true motive was not honest.

This ruling comes at a time when the administration is facing heavy political pressure. Supporters of former President Donald Trump have criticized the government for not releasing all the information it has about Jeffrey Epstein. This criticism has led to even more speculation about the case, especially concerning Ghislaine Maxwell. After her conviction, Maxwell’s appeal is now waiting to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.