Ghislaine Maxwell, the accomplice of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, urged a federal judge Tuesday to reject the Trump administration’s bid to unseal grand jury transcripts in her case.
David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s attorney, said she “has no choice” to oppose the request because the judge declined to allow her to review the material in question.
“Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain,” Markus continued.
Grand jury material generally remains secret, but the administration has recently looked to unseal transcripts in Epstein’s and Maxwell’s criminal cases.
The push comes as Trump’s supporters increase pressure on the administration to produce more information following an FBI and Justice Department memo, which stated that Epstein did not have a client list and that his 2019 death at his New York City jail cell was a suicide.
The decision in Maxwell’s case rests with U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, an appointee of former President Obama.
Maxwell had hoped to gain access to the transcripts to inform her position. Despite the government not opposing her request, Engelmayer denied it. The judge wrote “it is black-letter law that defendants generally are not entitled to access grand jury materials.”
Later on Tuesday, the executors of Epstein’s estate said they take no position on the unsealing request “in view of the Government’s commitment to protect the identities of those claiming to have been victimized by Mr. Epstein.”
As Engelmayer and a separate judge assigned to Epstein’s case consider releasing the transcripts, two victims submitted letters to the court questioning the administration’s motives and insisting they were not being adequately considered.
Engelmayer ordered any other victims who wish to submit a letter to do so by the end of the day on Tuesday.
The judge is set to rule after providing the government until Friday to respond to the letters and clarify if they want to release not only the transcripts, but also exhibits shown to the grand jury.
