A federal judge in Florida has ordered the release of previously sealed grand jury transcripts from the 2006-2007 federal investigation involving Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith issued this ruling on December 5, permitting the unsealing of documents related to the case.
This decision comes after a reversal from earlier in the year when another judge denied a similar request by the Justice Department at that time. The release is mandated under the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” which was enacted in November 2025 and requires the disclosure of nearly all unclassified records connected to Epstein’s case.
The law allows for redactions where necessary, such as to protect victims’ identities or sensitive information related to ongoing probes, but prohibits withholding material merely to avoid embarrassing public figures. This Florida ruling marks a significant first in applying this transparency measure.
Attention is now turning toward two other pending cases involving Ghislaine Maxwell and the Epstein case: the 2019 federal sex-trafficking investigation and the 2021 case against Maxwell, his alleged accomplice. The Justice Department must address any objections from relevant parties by Monday before final rulings are expected.
It remains unclear when these transcripts will be fully released, but the law sets a December 19 deadline for their broader dissemination.
