A federal judge has given the Justice Department permission to release transcripts of a grand jury investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of underage girls in Florida. The case ultimately ended without any federal charges being filed against the millionaire sex offender. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith said Friday that a recently passed federal law ordering the release of records related to the cases overrode the usual rules about grand jury secrecy. The new law compels the Justice Department, FBI and federal prosecutors to release later this month the materials they've amassed during investigations into Epstein. When the documents will be released is unknown.

The Justice Department has renewed its request to unseal Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking grand jury materials after Congress approved the release of investigative materials related to the prosecution of the late financier. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton signed a submission in Manhattan federal court on Monday asking that the materials be released now that President Donald Trump signed the action requiring release of documents related to Epstein within 30 days. The Justice Department said the Congressional action was written to indicate an intent to override any contrary provisions of existing law. A judge rejected a request earlier this year to release the grand jury materials publicly.

A federal judge says the Justice Department engaged in a "disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps" when it secured an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick said Monday those problems include "fundamental misstatements of the law" by a prosecutor to a grand jury that indicted Comey in September, the use of potentially privileged communications in the investigation and unexplained irregularities in the transcript of the grand jury proceedings. Fitzpatrick ordered the Justice Department to provide Comey's lawyers with all grand jury materials. The indictment charges Comey with lying to Congress in September 2020 when he suggested under questioning that he had not authorized FBI leaks of information to the news media.

Lawyers for two of President Donald Trump's foes who've been charged by the Justice Department have asked a federal judge to dismiss the cases against them, saying the prosecutor who secured the indictments was illegally installed. U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie says she expects to decide by Thanksgiving on challenges to Lindsey Halligan's appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Currie also disclosed Thursday a record of grand jury proceedings in ex-FBI Director James Comey's case was missing a portion. Comey denies charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress. New York Attorney General Letitia James also was charged by Halligan and denies mortgage fraud allegations.

A federal judge in New York who presided over the sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein has rejected the government's request to unseal grand jury transcripts. Wednesday's ruling by Judge Richard Berman came after the judge presiding over the case against Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell also turned down the government's request. Barring reversal on appeal, Berman's decision forecloses the possibility of grand jury testimony being released given that other judges who received the same Justice Department request reached the same conclusions. The Justice Department declines to comment. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial.