US v. Maxwell: Grand Jury Transcript Unsealing Opinion (Dec 2025)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, -v- GHISLAINE MAXWELL, Defendant. 20 Cr. 330 (PAE) OPINION & ORDER PAUL A. ENGELMAYER, District Judge: This decision resolves a motion pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act (the “Act”), H.R. 4405, signed into law on November 19, 2025. The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) moves for an order that would enable it to publicly release two categories of records from this case that it contends are within the scope of the Act. First, DOJ asks the Court to rule that the Act covers the grand jury transcripts and exhibits in this case (the “grand jury materials”) and, as to these, overrides Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e). That ruling would authorize DOJ to publicly release the grand jury materials pursuant to the Act. Second, DOJ asks the Court to rule that the Act covers the extensive discovery the prosecution provided to counsel for defendant Ghislaine Maxwell in connection with her 2021 trial (the “discovery materials”) and to modify the protective order that governs such discovery. That modification would permit DOJ to publicly release the discovery materials pursuant to the Act. Consistent with a provision of the Act, DOJ has pledged-with respect to both categories of materials-to withhold or redact segregable portions that contain personally identifiable and other victim-related information. For the following reasons, the Court grants DOJ’s motion. In modifying the protective order, the Court, consistent with the Act, puts in place a mechanism to protect victims from the Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 820 Filed 12/09/25 Page 1 of 24 2 inadvertent release of materials within the discovery in this case that would identify them or otherwise invade their privacy. I. Background A. Maxwell’s Indictment, Trial, Sentencing, and Appeal The history of this case spanning indictment through direct ap