Justice Department moves to unseal Epstein, Maxwell grand jury transcripts amid calls for transparency

At Attorney General Pam Bondi s direction the Department of Justice DOJ on Friday formally moved to unseal long-secret grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein incident citing what it called intense populace interest in the notorious sex trafficking study Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche submitted the motion in Manhattan federal court urging a judge to release the transcripts from Epstein s grand jury proceedings and those from the prosecution of Epstein s convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a new transparency push by the department Earlier this month the DOJ and FBI issued a memorandum describing an exhaustive review of their Epstein investigative files That internal review sought to determine if any evidence could justify charging additional individuals but it concluded that no such evidence was uncovered against any uncharged third parties Since the memo s July release agents say masses interest in its conclusions has remained high DOJ REJECTS GHISLAINE MAXWELL S APPEAL IN SCOTUS RESPONSEWhile the department maintains it stands by the memo s findings the filing emphasizes that transparency to the American general is of the utmost importance to this Administration Given the intense masses interest the DOJ described the court it is moving to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts to shed light on its investigative work in the Epstein matter The DOJ disclosed it will work with prosecutors to redact all victim names and personal identifying information from the transcripts before any release Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect sufferers the motion assured Epstein was indicted by a New York grand jury July on sex trafficking charges Just over a month later on Aug he died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial and the scenario was dismissed LEGAL PATHWAY CLEARLY EXISTS FOR TRUMP'S REQUEST TO MAKE EPSTEIN GRAND JURY TESTIMONY PUBLICEpstein s longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell was indicted by a grand jury in on multiple counts related to trafficking and coercing minors She was convicted in December and sentenced to years in prison Maxwell s convictions were upheld on appeal in and she is petitioning the U S Supreme Court to review her affair Grand jury proceedings are ordinarily secret by law or as the motion says a tradition of law that proceedings before a grand jury shall generally remain secret But the filing notes this tradition is not absolute Federal courts have recognized certain special circumstances where releasing grand jury records is appropriate even outside the usual exceptions like when a incident holds vital society or historical importance The DOJ argues Epstein s affair is exactly such a special circumstance given its unparalleled notoriety General bureaucrats lawmakers pundits and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter the motion notes The motion points out that a Florida judge last year ordered the release of chosen Epstein grand jury records after concluding the financier was the bulk infamous pedophile in American history and that the facts of Epstein s affair tell a tale of national disgrace By the DOJ s account the sealed grand jury transcripts are critical pieces of an vital moment in our nation s history and t he time for the inhabitants to guess what they contain should end The motion stresses that Epstein s death means any privacy interests on his side are now substantially diminished And even though Maxwell is still fighting her conviction prosecutors noted the extraordinary populace scrutiny around the Epstein saga justifies pressing ahead with unsealing now For these reasons the DOJ is urging the court to conclude that the Epstein and Maxwell cases qualify as matters of residents interest and to grant the unsealing of the grand jury transcripts while lifting any protective orders CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe unsealing would shine unprecedented light on one of America s greater part notorious criminal cases a move the department says is legally justified and necessary in the name of citizens accountability The DOJ did not forthwith respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment Fox News' Mike Ruiz contributed to this account