Clinton Judge Rejects Trump Admin’s Bid To Unseal Jeffrey Epstein Records [WATCH]

A Manhattan federal judge has denied an effort by the Trump administration to unseal grand jury transcripts from the federal case against Jeffrey Epstein, ruling the government did not show sufficient cause to make the records public, as reported by The New York Post.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman issued a 14-page order Wednesday rejecting the request, writing that the move appeared to be a “diversion” from the government’s existing pledge to release other investigative materials it holds on Epstein.

BREAKING: Bill Clinton Judge Richard Berman DENIES Trump administration’s court filing to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts and exhibits.

Well would you look at that. pic.twitter.com/vlC5sZXmPA

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 20, 2025

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Epstein, 66, was arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges and was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell weeks later on August 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide.

The transcripts sought by the administration included testimony from two grand jury sessions held June 18, 2019, and July 2, 2019. During those proceedings, one FBI agent testified about statements collected from Epstein’s alleged victims and other sources.

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Because the case never went to trial, those transcripts were never made public.

Berman noted that three federal judges have now denied similar motions in Epstein-related cases. On August 7, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan denied a request to release grand jury testimony from the case of Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and is serving a 20-year sentence.

Judge Richard Berman has denied the government’s motions to unseal approximately 70 pages of grand jury transcripts and exhibits in United States v. Epstein.

The court held that the secrecy of grand jury proceedings outweighs the government’s asserted interests, relying on… pic.twitter.com/OrLkJhsX0c

— AF Post (@AFpost) August 20, 2025

In July, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach also rejected a bid to release grand jury materials tied to Epstein’s 2008 Florida plea deal, in which he served 13 months in custody with work release on state prostitution charges.

In his ruling, Berman emphasized that the Justice Department already possesses extensive Epstein-related material.

“The government has already undertaken a comprehensive investigation into the Epstein case and, not surprisingly, has assembled a ‘trove’ of Epstein documents, interviews, and exhibits.”

He added that the government had previously committed to sharing its investigative files with the public, making it the “logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein files.”

Berman warned that releasing the grand jury transcripts could compromise the safety and privacy of Epstein’s victims, who were not given notice or an opportunity to weigh in before the motion was filed.

Chairman of House Oversight .@RepJamesComer confirms DOJ to release Epstein documents on Friday.

Oh WAIT.

Just NOW: B. Clinton–appointed Judge Richard Berman blocks the Trump administration’s court filing to unseal the Epstein grand jury transcripts and exhibits.

Why? … pic.twitter.com/jD17pVFSuf

— Tosca Austen (@ToscaAusten) August 20, 2025

The Department of Justice and the FBI released a memo on July 6 concluding that Epstein committed suicide and that no “client list” existed, despite speculation to the contrary.

Berman said the government’s broader collection of Epstein records would provide a more complete account than the limited testimony in the grand jury transcripts.

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