The U.S. House Oversight Committee is set to begin receiving federal documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case from the Department of Justice (DOJ) starting Friday. Some of these documents will be made public. However, a federal judge in New York, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, denied the DOJ's request to unseal approximately 70 pages of grand jury transcripts and exhibits from Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking indictment. Judge Berman, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, ruled that the secrecy of grand jury proceedings outweighs the government's asserted interests and described the DOJ's motion as a "diversion" from the larger set of over 100,000 Epstein-related files already controlled by the government. He emphasized that the DOJ itself is the "logical party" to release these materials rather than the court. The judge also noted concerns that releasing the transcripts could endanger victims who have spoken out against Epstein. This decision marks the third federal judge to reject efforts to unseal Epstein grand jury materials. Despite the denial to unseal grand jury transcripts, the DOJ confirmed it will provide other Epstein case documents to Congress, specifically to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, as part of ongoing oversight efforts.
How did Jeffrey Epstein get rich? The convicted sex offender was worth nearly $600 million at his death, thanks mostly to two wealthy billionaire clients—plus generous tax breaks. Read more: https://t.co/SW2v32bjV5 https://t.co/2vJAhal3i8
Look at why the Epstein estate says records we have requested in the USVI should not be unsealed https://t.co/PUAzegTdyy
House Oversight Cmte ranking member says 97% of the Epstein records turned over to panel by Justice Dept were already public. And panel Democrats say such limited disclosure raises more questions than answers