Judge prohibits disclosure of Epstein grand jury records

A US judge has refused to unseal documents from the grand jury investigation into the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, citing state law. The decision came as the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump’s name is among hundreds of individuals included in the Epstein investigative documents held by the justice department. A White House spokesman dismissed the report as “fake news.” The transcripts in question stem from Florida’s investigation into Epstein’s solicitation of a minor for prostitution in 2006. Judge Robin Rosenberg noted that releasing the documents would violate federal appeals court guidelines. Additionally, the issue of whether transcripts related to Epstein’s 2019 sex-trafficking probe should be unsealed is still pending in New York. The ruling comes as attention has turned to Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for aiding Epstein’s abuse of young girls. A senior justice department official plans to meet with Maxwell to discuss her knowledge of the case. Shortly after the ruling, House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to Maxwell as an unreliable witness. Older campaign promises by Trump to release Epstein files have not materialized.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyq921zqqzo