A federal judge has ordered Ghislaine Maxwell to keep her court filings sealed and barred from naming victims, as the Justice Department slowly releases records tied to the Epstein scandal.
Judge Engelmayer’s Ruling
On Monday, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer scolded Maxwell for including confidential victim names in her habeas petition, which she filed without a lawyer. He directed that all exhibits submitted with the petition be kept under seal until they are reviewed and appropriately redacted to protect victim identities. Future papers must also be filed under seal, and Maxwell was warned that she cannot publicly disclose any victim information that was not named during her trial.
The judge gave Maxwell a deadline: she must notify him by February 17, 2026 if she intends to incorporate any of the so-called Epstein files in her petition, and she must file an amended version by March 31, 2026.
DOJ’s Slow, Heavily Redacted Release
The Department of Justice has begun releasing investigative records under the recently enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act, but the releases have been incremental and heavily redacted. The DOJ says the delay is due to the time-consuming process of obscuring victims’ names and other identifying details. Records are being posted on a rolling basis by the end of the year, but no notice is given when new files arrive.
Accusers and members of Congress have criticized the approach. The documents released so far-photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other files-were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context. Some highly anticipated records, such as FBI victim interviews and internal memos about charging decisions, were missing.
Senate Pushes for Legal Action
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a resolution urging the Senate to file or join lawsuits to compel the DOJ to comply with the Transparency Act. Schumer said the Trump administration released only a tiny fraction of the files and blacked out large portions. The resolution is largely symbolic because the Senate is closed until January 5, and even then passage would be difficult. Nonetheless, it allows Democrats to continue a pressure campaign for full disclosure.
DOJ’s Defense of Redactions
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the DOJ’s decision to release only a fraction of the files by the deadline. He said the department must act with caution when making thousands of documents public, as they can contain sensitive information. Blanche also defended the removal of several files from the public webpage, including a photograph showing President Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Maxwell. The image was removed because of a concern that it might also show victims. It was later returned unaltered after it was determined that no victims were depicted.
Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the DOJ is not redacting information around Trump or any other individual involved with Epstein, and that the narrative that the department is hiding information about Trump is “completely false.” He criticized Schumer, calling the narrative a hoax.
Key Takeaways
- Judge Engelmayer has sealed Maxwell’s habeas petition and prohibited public disclosure of victim names.
- The DOJ is releasing Epstein files slowly and heavily redacted, with no notice when new records become available.
- Senate Minority Leader Schumer’s resolution seeks to force the DOJ to meet the Transparency Act, though it is largely symbolic at present.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the DOJ’s cautious approach to redaction and denied claims of a Trump-centric cover-up.
The clash over the release of Epstein files highlights ongoing tensions between the Justice Department, lawmakers, and the public over transparency and the protection of survivors.
