The Justice Department seeks to unseal the Epstein files after Trump signed the law

The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to unseal grand jury materials and lift protective orders in the cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The law, signed by Trump on November 19, 2025, requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all records, communications and unclassified investigative materials related to Epstein within 30 days.

The order allows limited redactions for victim privacy or to protect ongoing investigations, but they must be narrowly tailored and justified in the Federal Register.

The Department asked the court to expedite the release of grand jury transcripts and exhibits and to modify orders barring public release of discovery materials.

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She said Congress expressly authorized disclosure under the law, bypassing the confidentiality of grand jury proceedings required by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The Justice Department said the law also replaces previous court rulings that refused to disclose the seal.

The judge in Maxwell’s case set a briefing schedule for Monday, ordering Maxwell to submit her position by Dec. 3. He also directed prosecutors to notify victims, who may submit letters to the court by the same date.

The government has until December 10 to respond, and the judge will rule after that, although he did not set a specific date. The judge established a 30-day deadline for Bundy’s release.

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The House of Representatives voted 421 to one last Tuesday in favor of releasing the files after months of pressure from Representatives Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, Democrat of California. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Los Angeles, cast the lone “no” vote, saying the bill “exposes and wounds thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who made alibis, family members, etc.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, supported the measure but expressed similar concerns. The Senate approved the bill hours later with unanimous approval.

Trump signed the law amid renewed scrutiny of his past association with Epstein after the Justice Department and FBI said in July they would not release related materials, citing the case closed.

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The law orders the department to release all unclassified records related to Epstein and Maxwell, as well as files that reference individuals in Epstein’s previous cases, trafficking allegations, internal communications and details of his death.

Files containing names of victims, child sexual abuse material, classified content, or information that may impact ongoing investigations may be redacted or deleted.

Bondi said Wednesday that she would comply with the law that requires the department to post files online in a searchable format within 30 days.

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The release sparked strong interest from Trump supporters who urged the department to disclose Epstein’s alleged “client list” and details of his death.

Although the documents are authentic, Epstein’s statements in the emails have not been verified. They do not allege any wrongdoing by Trump and only refer to him in passing.

Trump has not been formally accused of misconduct related to Epstein, and there are no law enforcement records linking him to Epstein’s crimes.

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Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was later convicted of similar crimes and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Fox News’ Diana Stansey and Emma Colton contributed to this report.