New York judge dismisses lawsuit seeking release of Epstein documents

A New York judge dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking the release of records related to the FBI’s investigation and prosecution of financier Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes.

In a 20-page ruling, District Judge Paul G. Gardephe said the release of the documents could interfere with a retrial of Ghislaine Maxwell , Epstein’s associate.

The FBI argued that public disclosure of the documents would influence witness testimony, prejudice the jury pool “so as to hinder the Government’s ability to present its case in court,” and give Maxwell greater access “to the investigatory files than she would otherwise have during the criminal discovery process,” according to the ruling.

The FBI provided “'sufficient detail for the court to trace a rational link between the information contained in the records and the potential interference with law enforcement proceedings' … and the FBI has thus met its burden for withholding disclosure of the records,” the judge wrote in the ruling.

The lawsuit, filed against the FBI by the online news outlet RadarOnline and its senior editor James Robertson, sought the release of the Epstein documents under the Freedom of Information Act.

RadarOnline first filed suit against the FBI in 2017, nearly a month after submitting a FOIA request to the agency that received no response.

The FBI agreed later that year to begin releasing documents at a rate of 500 pages per month, according to the ruling.

However, when Epstein was arrested and charged in July 2019, the FBI argued the information contained in the remaining documents could interfere with law enforcement proceedings under Exemption 7(A) to FOIA.

Twelve of Epstein’s alleged victims sued the FBI earlier this year, accusing the agency of “repeated and continued failures, delays, and inaction [that] allowed Epstein and others to continue their sex trafficking conspiracy for almost 25 years.”

Their lawsuit alleges the FBI received multiple tips and reports about Epstein since as early as 1996 but that it failed to open a case until 2006.

Court documents relating to Epstein released earlier this year included the names of more than 150 people, including former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, former President Donald Trump, late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, and late pop star Michael Jackson.

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Epstein committed suicide in his jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 for her role in Epstein’s yearslong sex trafficking operation. She has appealed to overturn her conviction, which remains pending.