US judge orders unsealing of Florida Epstein grand jury transcripts

A US district court judge ordered Friday that grand jury transcripts from a federal case against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in the US state of Florida be unsealed.

Judge Rodney Smith said in a brief two-page order that he would grant the Justice Department's renewed push for the documents after Congress passed a law last month demanding the release of all government files related to Epstein.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in Florida federal court and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008.

His victims have alleged he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was utilized by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein's case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims' advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein's extensive links to political, business, and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.