Lawyers for imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are contesting a request for the release of 90,000 pages of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell. They argue that a law aimed at facilitating the public release of millions of documents is unconstitutional. The legal dispute unfolded in Manhattan federal court, where Maxwell's attorneys filed motions late Friday to block the release of the records stemming from a previously settled civil defamation lawsuit initiated by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell.
The Justice Department has recently requested a judge to lift strict secrecy requirements over these files. Maxwell’s lawyers assert that the department improperly obtained these documents, which were under secrecy orders, during its criminal investigation of Maxwell. They claim that the files contain sensitive information, including transcripts from over 30 depositions and financial and sexual details concerning Maxwell and other individuals.
Despite the ongoing legal tensions, some records from the lengthy exchange of evidence in the civil lawsuit have already been made public in response to a federal appeals court order. However, Maxwell's legal team is arguing against the legal foundation that now mandates the release of these documents. They contend that a statute passed by Congress in December, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, undermines the judiciary's power by obliging it to release its files.
The attorneys state, “Congress cannot, by statute, strip this Court of the power or relieve it of the responsibility to protect its files from misuse. To do so violates the separation of powers.” They further argue that under the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine, neither Congress nor the Executive Branch is allowed to interfere with judicial power, which includes the authority to resolve cases definitively.
Over the past weeks, the release of documents related to Epstein's criminal investigations has led to new disclosures about his extensive history of sexual abuse against women and minors. Some victims have expressed dissatisfaction, noting that their identities were revealed in the documentation while the names of their abusers were redacted.
Complaints have arisen from members of Congress, who noted that only about half of the existing documents, many heavily redacted, have been publicly disclosed. Officials from the Justice Department claim that everything has been released, except for some files that await a judge's approval for public access.
Virginia Giuffre has alleged that Epstein trafficked her to several men, including the former Prince Andrew, who is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Giuffre filed a lawsuit against him in 2021, claiming they had sexual relations when she was only 17. The prince denied her allegations, and the lawsuit was settled in 2022. Recently, he faced arrest for nearly 11 hours due to allegations of misconduct in sharing confidential trade information with Epstein.
In a memoir published after her death last year, Giuffre stated that prosecutors opted not to include her testimony in Maxwell's prosecution because they feared it would distract the jury. Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell, aged 64, received a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction in December 2021. Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in August 2019. Maxwell has since been relocated from a federal prison in Florida to a low-security prison camp in Texas following her participation in interviews with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Two weeks ago, during a video deposition with House Oversight Committee lawmakers, Maxwell declined to answer questions but indicated through a statement from her lawyer that she was ready to provide full and honest testimony if offered clemency. The Justice Department has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this matter.
