By Ed White, Associated Press
A judge rejected on Wednesday A request for the Trump administration to add transcripts from Grand Jury Investigations by Jeffrey Epstein years ago in Florida, although a similar record request is awaiting New York.
Judge Robin Rosenberg of the American district in West Palm Beach said that the request to release large jury documents from 2005 and 2007 to none of the extraordinary exceptions under federal legislation, which could make them public.
Last week, the Ministry of Justice asked the judge to release records to suppress a storm among supporters of President Donald Trump who believe that there was a conspiracy to protect the clients of Epstein, videos of crimes committed and hide other evidence.
Related: New photos, videos shine light on Trump’s tires with Epstein
In 2008, Epstein concluded a deal with federal public prosecutors in Florida who allowed him to escape from more serious federal charges and, instead, owe guilty for the charges of a person under the age of 18 for prostitution and request of prostitution.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche had asked judges in Florida and New York to rid transcripts from Grand Jury Proceedings that resulted in charges to Epstein and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and said: “Transparency for the American public is of the utmost importance for this administration.”
Federal large juries hear evidence in secret and then decide whether there is enough for an indictment. Experts say that the transcripts would probably not reveal much, because public prosecutors usually only try to present enough material to get costs and not to implement the entire investigation.
Epstein, a rich financier, was arrested years later in 2019 for federal charges for sex trade, while Maxwell was accused of helping him abuse teenage girls.
Epstein was found dead in his cell in a federal prison in New York City about a month after he was arrested. Researchers concluded that he committed suicide. Maxwell was later convicted during the trial and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The case attracted attention because of the links of Epstein and Maxwell with famous people, including Royals, presidents and billionaires. It also led to some of the biggest conspiracy theories that inspired the basis of Trump.
The furore about records has been fired by the Ministry of Justice. In February, extreme right-wing influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked with “the Epstein files: phase 1” and “declared”. The binders contain documents that had largely been in the public domain.
The department on July 7 acknowledged that Epstein had no list of customers. It also said that no more files would be made public with regard to his case.
A memo of two pages that bore the logos of the FBI and the Ministry of Justice, but that was not signed by a person, said that the Department established that no “further disclosure would be suitable or justified.”
Originally published:
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