• A federal judge has allowed the Justice Department to unseal records from Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking case.
• The ruling follows the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring public disclosure of Epstein-related documents by December 19.
• The Justice Department's request includes hundreds of previously undisclosed documents related to the case.

A federal judge has granted the U.S. Justice Department permission to publicly release investigative materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking case. This decision, made by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, comes in response to the recently passed Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates the disclosure of records associated with Jeffrey Epstein and his associates by December 19. Judge Engelmayer acknowledged that the Act “unambiguously applies” to the materials held by prosecutors, particularly those shared with Maxwell's defense team during her trial, thus modifying the existing protective order to allow for such releases, according to The Hill, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, CBS News, BBC, South China Morning Post, and ABC News.

The Hill, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, CBS News, BBC, South China Morning Post, and ABC News.

This ruling follows a similar decision made by a Florida judge, which permitted the release of documents in a related case against Epstein. The current decision emphasizes the importance of transparency in matters relating to high-profile investigations, further bolstered by legislative intent, as stated in the Act targeting Epstein's conduct and its enablers. The Act also incorporates certain protections for victims’ identities, mandating the redaction of sensitive information before public disclosure, according to The Hill, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, CBS News, BBC, South China Morning Post, and ABC News.