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Judge denies DOJ bid to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records
NBC News ^ | August 11, 2025 | Chloe Atkins, Tom Winter and Rebecca Shabad

Posted on 08/11/2025 8:36:07 AM PDT by Red Badger

A federal judge on Monday denied the Department of Justice’s request to unseal grand jury materials in Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case.

In his 31-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, a Barack Obama appointee, says that the grand jury materials do not identify anyone other than Epstein or Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.

The DOJ request came as supporters of President Donald Trump have pushed for more disclosures related to Maxwell and her co-conspirator Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier and accused sex trafficker.

Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi last month to release "any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony" in the Epstein case.

The judge noted that the government’s evidence included the testimony of women who were sexually abused as girls by Epstein and Maxwell, people who worked for Epstein and Maxwell, and law enforcement officials. Some of the evidence included photos and items collected from Epstein’s residences, flight logs and an address book.

Engelmayer argued that one factor in rejecting the unsealing of the transcripts is the “rule of secrecy” in grand juries.

In his order, Engelmayer said that the government’s reasoning for unsealing the Maxwell grand jury materials — that it came after “abundant public interest” — “fails at the threshold.”

“Its entire premise — that the Maxwell grand jury materials would bring to light meaningful new information about Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes, or the Government’s investigation into them—is demonstrably false,” he wrote.

Engelmayer said that the government’s submissions failed to prove its claim that the grand jury materials “contained undisclosed information of significant historical or public interest.” He said that “with only very minor exceptions,” the evidence from the Maxwell grand juries is “a matter of public record.”

Engelmayer even pointed to the Trump administration’s admission that much of the material "was made publicly available at [Maxwell’s] trial or has otherwise been publicly reported through the public statements of victims and witnesses.”

Thus, a member of the public familiar with the Maxwell trial who reviewed the grand jury materials that the DOJ proposed to unseal “would thus learn next to nothing new,” the judge said.

He added, “Contrary to the Government’s depiction, the Maxwell grand jury testimony is not a matter of significant historical or public interest. Far from it. It consists of garden-variety summary testimony by two law enforcement agents.”

Engelmayer also said the materials do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.

He continued by saying that the materials “do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s. They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes. They do not reveal new venues at which their crimes occurred. They do not reveal new sources of their wealth. They do not explore the circumstances of Epstein’s death. They do not reveal the path of the Government’s investigation.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: 98to0; benedictobamastooge; chloeatkins; doj; epsteindistraction; epsteinhysteria; epsteinhysterics; epsteinobsessed; epsteinobsession; epsteinsmear; grandjury; karenepsteingffs; maxwell; obamastooge; paulaengelmayer; paulengelmayer; rebeccashabad; sdnewyork; tomwinter; trumpepsteinbffs; trumptdstrollonfr; whynotzotthetrolls; wonderfulrinos; wonderfulsecrets
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1 posted on 08/11/2025 8:36:07 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger
Judge: Upon my review, there's nothing in there that implicates anyone in any crimes. Also, we need to keep this all hidden.

They wonder why we don't trust them after 5 years of this sort of BS.

2 posted on 08/11/2025 8:38:33 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie ("We want no Gestapo or Secret Police. F. B. I. is tending in that direction." - Harry S Truman)
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To: pepsi_junkie

Judge: “Trust me, there’s nothing there. Move along comrade.....”....................


3 posted on 08/11/2025 8:39:38 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: pepsi_junkie

Judge: “Trust me, there’s nothing there. Move along comrade.....”....................


4 posted on 08/11/2025 8:39:38 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger
Who made this judge the last word? Oh that's right, he doesn't have the last word. But to delay is to deny. Question is why does he want to deny?

Supreme Court set this clown straight, and overrule his stupidity.

5 posted on 08/11/2025 8:44:25 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Red Badger

Do these damn “judges” think they were appointed “god”? What don’t they understand about the Constitution and the separation of powers?
KICK THEM OUT and dis-bar them!


6 posted on 08/11/2025 8:46:30 AM PDT by 13Sisters76 ("It is amazing how many people mistake a certain hip snideness for sophistication. " Thos. Sowell)
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To: pepsi_junkie

Then why did Prince Andrew pay out $millions in a civil suit and in the process get alienated as a Royal? Asking for a friend.


7 posted on 08/11/2025 8:48:13 AM PDT by masadaman
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To: pepsi_junkie

I can think of many reasons why someone called to testify before a grand jury would want the records to remain sealed.


8 posted on 08/11/2025 8:49:30 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Red Badger

As it should be....Grand Jurys are only guessing. The proof is in the trials.


9 posted on 08/11/2025 8:51:57 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Red Badger

An Obama judge doesnt want this out..must mean it implicates Dems


10 posted on 08/11/2025 8:52:45 AM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Sarah Barracuda

Maybe it has something to do with protecting witnesses and the integrity of the process.


11 posted on 08/11/2025 8:54:44 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Sarah Barracuda

Nah, couldn’t be, Obama is as clean as a whistle, right?................


12 posted on 08/11/2025 8:55:08 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: masadaman

I believe the Monarchy told Andrew that the Monarchy does not launder publically....and so Prince Andrew contributed to her “cause”...some group she started.


13 posted on 08/11/2025 8:57:48 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: masadaman
Prince Andrew is already known.

“Its entire premise — that the Maxwell grand jury materials would bring to light meaningful new information about Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes, or the Government’s investigation into them—is demonstrably false,” he wrote.
14 posted on 08/11/2025 9:01:21 AM PDT by af_vet_1981 ( The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.=)
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To: masadaman

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/queen-elizabeth-defended-prince-andrew-083045699.html


15 posted on 08/11/2025 9:03:58 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Red Badger

Can a Justice of the Peace deny Presidential Orders too?


16 posted on 08/11/2025 9:05:15 AM PDT by bray (It's not racist to be racist against races the DNC hates.)
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To: bray

Apparently so..............


17 posted on 08/11/2025 9:05:48 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Jamestown1630
Maybe it has something to do with protecting witnesses and the integrity of the process.

That's. not going to fly on this thread, as the public's right to know is superior to anything else for several posters.

Of course, that is an ignorant and legally weak argument, but who quibble over those trivial matters?

Hint to those posters - the public has no "right" to view GJ testimony or records. And the President can't order that testimony or records released if a judge decides otherwise.

18 posted on 08/11/2025 9:10:49 AM PDT by Fury
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To: Red Badger

Here’s how you know there’s nothing incriminating for T$ in it


19 posted on 08/11/2025 9:15:10 AM PDT by Jeff Vader
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To: Red Badger
” Contrary to the Government’s depiction, the Maxwell grand jury testimony is not a matter of significant historical or public interest. Far from it. It consists of garden-variety summary testimony by two law enforcement agents.”


Paul A. Engelmayer

"You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"

20 posted on 08/11/2025 9:31:22 AM PDT by OldHarbor
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