Judge rejects unsealing Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts

A federal judge in New York on Monday rejected a request by the Justice Department to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the criminal investigation of Ghislaine Maxwell , the convicted procurer for notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .

Judge Paul Engelmayer, in his ruling, scoffed at the Justice Department's rationale for wanting the transcripts unsealed.

"Its entire premise — that the Maxwell grand jury materials would bring to light meaningful new information about Epstein's and Maxwell's crimes, or the Government's investigation into them — is demonstrably false," Engelmayer wrote in his decision in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Engelmayer said the Justice Department was being "disingenuous" in making that argument for disclosure.

The Justice Department sought t