A federal decide in New York who presided over the intercourse trafficking case in opposition to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the federal government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts.
The ruling Wednesday by federal Decide Richard Berman in Manhattan got here after the decide presiding over the case in opposition to British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell additionally turned down the federal government’s request.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year jail sentence after her conviction on intercourse trafficking expenses for serving to Epstein sexually abuse ladies and younger girls.
Alicia Arden, who accused Jeffrey Epstein of assaulting her in a California resort room, and legal professional Gloria Allred referred to as for the discharge of all recordsdata associated to the Epstein investigation.
Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A Justice Division spokesperson declined to remark.
Berman stated the knowledge contained within the Epstein grand jury transcripts “pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.”
In accordance with Berman’s ruling, no victims testified earlier than the Epstein grand jury. The one witness, the decide wrote, was an FBI agent “who had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay.”
The agent testified over two days, on June 18 and July 2, 2019.
The remainder of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow proven through the June 18 session and a name log proven through the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Each of these will even stay sealed, Berman dominated.
