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Attorney General Pam Bondi has taken swift action by submitting a motion to gain access to the grand jury transcripts in the Jeffrey Epstein case. This move accompanies a vigorous effort by legislators demanding the release of all documentation linked to the deceased, convicted sex offender.
Bondi presented the motion to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, citing the recent passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act as justification for unsealing these confidential records.
The motion argues, “Given the Act’s explicit directive, the Court should permit the Department of Justice to disclose the grand jury transcripts, lifting any existing protective orders that would otherwise restrict public access.” It further notes that the Justice Department plans to redact sensitive details, such as victims’ identities and other personal information.
In July, Trump instructed Bondi to release the grand jury transcripts related to Epstein’s case, responding to widespread public outrage over the administration’s initial hesitation to disclose documents about the disgraced financier.
Trump stated on his Truth Social platform, “Considering the excessive media attention on Jeffrey Epstein, I have directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all relevant Grand Jury testimony, pending Court approval.” Bondi confirmed her compliance with this directive in a post on X.
But the administration’s efforts to unseal grand jury transcripts hit a wall in federal court. Grand jury trial materials are normally kept sealed to protect the reputations of people under government investigation and to more easily obtain truthful testimony from witnesses. The Justice Department’s (DOJ) summer request for a New York federal court to unseal the jury’s transcripts due to “extensive public interest” was denied.
Bondi’s motion for the transcripts’ release in a Florida federal court comes amid an abrupt pivot by the administration and GOP members of Congress supporting the release of files related to Epstein. Trump directed Republican Congress members to vote to release the Epstein files, a measure that passed 427-1 on the House floor before passing unanimously in the Senate. The president then signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law on Wednesday.
Though Bondi said the DOJ had obtained “new information” Wednesday that caused investigators to reverse the decision to close the Epstein case — providing potential justification for continuing to withhold case documents — Republican senators warned her not to drag her feet.
“You can adjust for whatever investigations are going on, but if you do a blanket hold, I think that they’re going to have a lot of people angry,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said.