A federal judge in Florida has denied the Trump administration’s attempt to unseal grand jury transcripts tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, temporarily halting President Donald Trump’s push for full transparency in one of the nation’s most notorious sex trafficking cases.
Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, an Obama appointee, ruled Wednesday that she does not have the legal authority to unseal the records. Her 12-page opinion acknowledged that while the Department of Justice made a formal request at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, federal precedent and grand jury secrecy laws prevent the court from granting the release.
“For the reasons set forth below, Eleventh Circuit law does not permit this Court to grant the Government’s request; the Court’s hands are tied — a point that the Government concedes,” Rosenberg wrote, adding that the DOJ failed to overcome the legal presumption of confidentiality surrounding grand jury proceedings.
The move comes after Bondi, acting on President Trump’s orders, filed three separate requests in both Florida and New York seeking to unseal records in both Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s cases. Bondi has faced criticism from Trump supporters who expected immediate release of key evidence, especially after she said earlier this year that Epstein’s “client list” was on her desk — a claim she later clarified referred more broadly to Epstein case files.
The DOJ has argued that unsealing the grand jury records is essential to answer public demand for transparency and accountability. The effort is also intended to address backlash over the DOJ’s recent memo asserting that no credible evidence exists to support claims of a “client list” or a blackmail operation involving high-profile figures.
Despite the ruling, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ is still pursuing leads and will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell to determine if she’s willing to provide additional information about others who may have participated in Epstein’s crimes.
“President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence,” Blanche said Tuesday. “If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.”
House Republicans are also pursuing the issue. On Tuesday, lawmakers voted to subpoena Maxwell for a closed-door deposition. Speaker Mike Johnson urged patience but affirmed the House’s oversight responsibilities.
“This is about restoring faith in our justice system,” Johnson said. “And if that means hearing from Maxwell directly, that’s what we’re prepared to do.”
The DOJ’s efforts are not over. Officials are reviewing potential appeals and pursuing other legal avenues to ensure that information tied to Epstein’s network sees daylight.
For now, however, one judge’s ruling has paused the Trump administration’s momentum — but not its determination.
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