The federal judge handling the DOJ's request to unseal some grand jury records from the Jeffrey Epstein case said on Tuesday he will move quickly, but he needs more information.
District Judge Paul Engelmayer released a four-page order with a detailed list of items he said needed to be addressed before he could decide on the release.
Engelmayer said in his order that the Justice Department left out some key information relating to what factors needed to be considered in allowing the release of secret grand jury files.
The DOJ filed its request on Friday for the release of secret court documents relating to former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal case.
President Donald Trump ordered the action by the DOJ to promote some transparency and get past the constant drumbeat of Americans and congressional representatives demanding to know more about the case.
Some of the additional information the judge requires relates to redacted or blocked information in the case files. Further, the judge wrote that he has not received the grand jury transcripts that the government wants to have unsealed. He also wants to hear from Maxwell about her thoughts on the matter, along with any victims of crimes who might be identified in the files.
Deputy U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche posted that he anticipates a meeting with Maxwell in the coming days to review information that she has said she was willing to talk about. "Until now," he wrote, "no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now."
Maxwell was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other related crimes connected with the deceased Wall Street financier and convicted sex offender Epstein.
Recent questions about whether Epstein maintained a client list obtained — and then kept secret — by government investigators has even had an impact on the House of Representatives being able to get legislative work handled at the Capitol.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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