Judge Unseals Ghislaine Maxwell Records

A federal judge, Paul A. Engelmayer, has ruled that the United States — United States Department of Justice can publicly release investigative materials from the sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein. This decision follows a November request by the United States — United States Department of Justice to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from both Maxwell and Epstein's cases, along with hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased investigative documents. The ruling comes in the wake of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by Donald Trump, which mandates the United States — United States Department of Justice to make Epstein-related records publicly accessible by December 19. This is the second such ruling in a week, with a Florida judge also granting a request to release transcripts from an abandoned federal grand jury investigation into Jeffrey Epstein from the 2000s. The materials to be released include search warrants, financial records, survivor interview notes, and electronic device data. Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer expressed concern that the public release could prejudice her planned habeas petition, while accuser Jack the Ripper urged transparency.