A federal judge has denied a Trump administration request to unseal transcripts from grand jury investigations involving disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in Florida, ruling that the legal threshold for releasing such records had not been met.
US District Judge Robin Rosenberg, presiding in West Palm Beach, said on Wednesday the grand jury materials from 2005 and 2007 did not fall under any of the narrow exceptions that would permit disclosure under federal law.
Trump’s name in Epstein files
The decision comes amid renewed scrutiny of the case following a Wall Street Journal report claiming that President Donald Trump was informed earlier this year that his name appears in confidential Justice Department files about Epstein.
Citing senior administration officials, the report said Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy briefed Trump in May at the White House.
They allegedly told him that while his name and those of many other high-profile individuals were mentioned, the information was based on what officials described as "unverified hearsay."
The report also said Justice Department officials did not intend to release further Epstein-related documents due to the presence of child abuse and sensitive victim information.
The White House quickly condemned the Wall Street Journal article as "fake news."
Newly discovered photos and video
The newspaper published its report hours after the Florida court blocked the DOJ’s attempt to make the grand jury records public. A similar records request remains pending in New York.
Meanwhile, CNN on Tuesday aired newly uncovered footage and photographs showing Trump socialising with Epstein, further fuelling public interest in the case.
Epstein died in 2019 in a New York City jail cell while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
His death was ruled a suicide, though it sparked widespread conspiracy theories due to his ties with prominent figures across politics, business, and entertainment.
