Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Batman Forever/R. McDonald’s event in New York City on June 13, 1995.
Patrick McMullan | Getty Images
A New York federal judge on Tuesday ordered the release of grand jury materials related to the prosecution of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of being a procurer for notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge Paul Engelmayer’s order in U.S. District Court in Manhattan was issued at the request of the Justice Department, which cited the recently passed Epstein File Transparency Act.
Grand jury materials are typically sealed permanently.
“The statute does not explicitly refer to grand jury materials, yet the court again agrees with the Department of Justice in holding that the statute literally covers grand jury materials in this case,” Engelmayer said in his order.
Mr. Englemeyer authorized the release of grand jury reports and evidence, as well as a wide range of documents that federal prosecutors disclosed to Mr. Maxwell’s defense attorneys ahead of his 2021 criminal trial.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of procuring underage girls for sexual abuse by Epstein.
Last month, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Epstein File Transparency Act, which requires disclosure of materials held by the Justice Department related to the Epstein investigation.
Epstein, a former friend of President Donald Trump, committed suicide in a federal prison in Manhattan in August 2019, weeks after he was arrested on child sex trafficking charges.
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