US judge rejects Trump's bid to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
The move is the first ruling in a series of attempts to release more information on the case by Donald Trump's administration, which is mired in a scandal over the US president's previous links to Epstein that has rocked his Maga base.
The request stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents.
The justice department has pending requests to unseal transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to a later indictment brought against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
US district judge Robin Rosenberg found that the department's request in Florida did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret.
Rosenberg wrote that the court's 'hands are tied' and said the government had not requested the grand jury's findings for use in a judicial proceeding, pointing out that district courts in the US are largely prohibited from unsealing grand jury testimony except in very narrow circumstances.
More details soon …
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
36 minutes ago
- Sky News
India hints it will keep buying Russian oil
India has indicated it will defy threats made by US President Donald Trump and continue buying Russian oil. The world's third-largest crude importer - after China and the US - cashed in on cheap Russian oil when its price plummeted after Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Historically, it had bought most of its crude from countries in the Middle East. But this changed after the invasion in February 2022, when western countries slapped sanctions on Russia in a bid to choke off money fuelling Moscow's war chest. It prompted the recent energy crisis that saw household bills in the UK soar. On Friday, the Indian foreign ministry said its relationship with Russia was "steady and time-tested", and warned against viewing it through the lens of another country. Addressing a weekly meeting, spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said India's general position on procuring energy was guided by supply in the markets and prevailing global circumstances. The sentiment was echoed by two further government sources cited by the Reuters news agency. "These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." India is highly dependent on oil imports, which supply 87% of its needs, according to the International Energy Agency. The comments follow a threat made by President Trump to impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, as well as an additional import tax, because of New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. The US president made ending the war in Ukraine a top priority - pledging to do so within his first 24 hours in office. But recently Mr Trump - who has repeatedly praised the Mr Putin over the years - has started to sour on the Russian leader for failing to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. 4:22 He called it "disappointing" and also threatened new economic sanctions on Russia if progress is not made. Mr Trump also this week said he had ordered two US nuclear submarines to be positioned in the "appropriate regions" in a row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. The pressure on India comes after it upped it Russian crude purchases from 68,000 barrels per day in January 2022 to 1.12 million barrels per day by June that year. Supplies rose as high as nearly 40% of India's imports at one point, making Russia the largest supplier of crude to New Delhi, according to the Press Trust of India, citing data from analytics firm Kpler. Home to 1.3 billion people, India is expected to become an even bigger oil consumer over the remainder of the decade, fuelled by spectacular growth in its economy, as well as rising population and demographics. Demand has been rising fastest for petrol, with rising household incomes sparking a boom in motorcycle and car ownership.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Two snorkelers die, child injured during lobster miniseason in Miami
Two snorkelers died and a child was injured in separate incidents during Florida's two-day spiny lobster miniseason in the Keys, which has now ended. The miniseason, held on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July, attracts thousands eager to catch lobster before the regular season begins on August 6. On Wednesday, Clarence Shawver, 82, of Palm City, was found unresponsive about five miles off Grassy Key after going snorkeling around 10:45 a.m., according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Shawver was later pronounced dead at Fisherman's Hospital in Marathon. The next day, around 8:30 a.m., Raymond Sasser, 61, of Loxahatchee, lost consciousness while snorkeling in the ocean. He was transported to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities do not suspect foul play in either case. Both autopsy results are pending. Also on Thursday, around 11 a.m., a child suffered a leg injury from a boat propeller about five miles off Big Pine Key and was airlifted to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami for treatment. 'Overall, the 2025 lobster mini season was typical for the Sheriff's Office,' the MSCO - Florida Keys said in a Facebook post Friday about the deaths and injury. 'Most people were in compliance and the number of vessel stops, notice-to-appear in court citations, and arrest figures were normal/typical compared to recent years.' Police made no arrests during the two-day lobster miniseason but issued approximately 16 mandatory-court-appearance citations and carried out 526 resource checks to ensure conservation law compliance.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Billionaire fraudster Elizabeth Holmes seen enjoying facilities at Ghislaine Maxwell's cushy new prison
Blood tech fraudster Elizabeth Holmes was spotted enjoying some leisure time at the same cushy Texas prison Ghislaine Maxwell has just been moved to. The disgraced Theranos founder became jail mates with Maxwell at Federal Prison Camp Bryan after the notorious madam was moved to the facility Thursday. Barring a longshot pardon from President Donald Trump, Maxwell will spend about seven years incarcerated at the same time as Holmes, who is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2032. Maxwell, who was convicted in June 2022 recruiting underage girls into Jeffrey Epstein 's sex trafficking ring, had been serving her sentence at a more restrictive prison in Florida. But she was moved after complaining to authorities that she was fed up of listening to transgender prisoners having loud sex. On Saturday, Holmes was seen taking a leisurely jog in a grassy area of the minimum security Texas prison. She was wearing a gray T-shirt and matching gray shorts with black sneakers. She also appeared to be wearing a watch. She was notably without fellow high profile inmate Jen Shah, the former Real Housewife of Salt Lake City who is also incarcerated at the facility. Shah pleaded guilty to fraud charges related to a telemarketing scheme she ran targeting the elderly. Photos have also shown Holmes and Shah running at the same time while engaging in cozy chats. Maxwell, who herself has been pictured running at her Florida prison, will likely soon run into both women. Camp Bryan is an all-female prison, unlike the Tallahassee prison, which housed men and women. The camp is also a much more comfortable prison that holds primarily white-collar criminals and not people convicted of violent crimes. Maxwell's sudden removal to Texas from a low-security prison in Tallahassee outraged Epstein's victims and their families. 'This is the justice system failing victims right before our eyes,' said sisters Annie and Maria Farmer and members of Virginia Giuffre's family in a statement obtained by Daily Mail. 'Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency. 'Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum security luxury prison in Texas.' Prison consultant Justin Paperny told Daily Mail he had never seen anyone convicted of a sex offense serve time in a minimum security prison such as Camp Bryan. 'She was in a low security prison, that looks like prisons on TV or in the movies. You're fenced in, razor wire, women serving typically 10 years or longer, more violent crime, sexual offenses,' Paperny said. Paperny runs White Collar Advice, which advises future inmates on what to expect inside. 'She will feel incredibly free. There is a very low staff to prisoner ratio and camps like Bryan, no fences or barbed wire,' he said. 'You can literally walk off and nobody will stop you. It's a cushy country club and looks like a corporate office park or a junior college.' Maxwell will also be able to purchase beauty and leisure items from the commissary, including make-up and crochet and sewing kits. There is even a softball field and pickleball courts at the facility. It is undoubtedly a huge upgrade for Maxwell, who was previously dealing with transgender prisoners having loud sex out in the open, a source told Daily Mail. The source also said Maxwell was bitter and frequently complained about the conditions at the Tallahassee prison. 'There was inadequate food. Ghislaine is a vegetarian and each prisoner is supposed to get 8oz of protein a day, but she was getting 2oz or less. The food was moldy. Everyone, not just Ghislaine, complained about the food,' the source said. Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus confirmed to Daily Mail that she was moved from the Tallahassee prison on Thursday. The Bureau of Prisons confirmed the transfer on Friday. Neither Markus or the BOP have offered any reason for why Maxwell was moved. This comes the Trump administration struggles to contain the fallout of its decision not to release the unredacted Epstein files. Maxwell has promised to testify about what she knows about the Epstein case in exchange for immunity or a presidential pardon. House leaders have roundly rejected giving her immunity, while people close to Trump have insisted a pardon is not in the works.
