Ghislaine Maxwell has voiced strong opposition to the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to her criminal case involving the late Jeffrey Epstein.
According to The Hill, Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus filed the opposition on Tuesday, arguing that she "has no choice" but to fight the unsealing after being denied the opportunity to review the materials herself.
In the filing, Markus emphasized the stark difference between Maxwell's situation and Epstein's, writing, "Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is not."
The Trump administration's push to unseal the transcripts comes amid increasing pressure from the president's supporters to release more information following a controversial FBI and Justice Department memo.
This memo reportedly stated that Epstein did not maintain a client list and confirmed his 2019 death in a New York City jail cell was a suicide, claims that have fueled continued speculation among many.
The final decision regarding the release of Maxwell's grand jury materials rests with U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, who was appointed by former President Obama and has already denied Maxwell's request to review the transcripts herself.
Maxwell's legal team argues that unsealing the grand jury materials would violate longstanding legal protections and potentially impact her ongoing legal proceedings.
Markus specifically addressed the public interest in the case, writing that "whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain."
Judge Engelmayer previously denied Maxwell's access request, noting that "it is black-letter law that defendants generally are not entitled to access grand jury materials," putting her in the position of opposing a release she cannot personally review.
Two alleged Epstein victims have submitted letters to the court raising concerns about the administration's intentions behind the unsealing request.
The victims expressed that their perspectives were not being adequately considered in the process, prompting Judge Engelmayer to set a Tuesday deadline for any additional victims who wished to submit their views on the matter.
Meanwhile, the executors of Epstein's estate have taken no position on the unsealing request, citing the government's commitment to protect the identities of those claiming to have been victimized by Epstein.
Judge Engelmayer has established a procedural timeline that will allow the government until Friday to respond to the victim's concerns about the potential release.
The judge also requested clarification on whether the administration seeks to release only the transcripts or also exhibits that were presented to the grand jury during proceedings.
The push for transparency comes as grand jury materials typically remain sealed, with Maxwell's attorney noting that she continues to pursue legal options while her due process rights remain intact, unlike Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
