A federal judge shot down the Trump administration’s bid to release troves of grand jury transcripts tied to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein Wednesday, according to court papers.
The swift rejection in the Florida court came after the Department of Justice requested the information be disclosed in a Friday motion as pressure mounts on the president and his top officials to shed more light on Epstein and those in his orbit.
Judge Robin Rosenberg claimed in her ruling that the court’s “hands are tied,” with district courts typically not allowed to unseal grand jury testimony in most cases, the New York Times first reported.
Epstein, an ultra-wealthy financier, committed suicide in jail in 2019 while the 66-year-old was awaiting trial on an avalanche of sex-trafficking charges.
He first pleaded guilty to soliciting underage sex in 2008 and was put on a sex offenders list and served just 13 months.
The Trump administration argued in its motion last week that “intense public scrutiny” should lead to transparency in the sex trafficking cases — which was in contrast with a July 6 Justice Department memo that stated further disclosures weren’t needed.
This is a developing story, Please check back for updates.
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