Federal judge in Florida orders unsealing of grand jury transcripts and records in Epstein probe

(CNN) — A federal judge in Florida ordered the unsealing of grand jury transcripts and other records in the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, paving the way for the public release of those documents.

In a two-page order, Judge Rodney Smith granted the Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts and modify a protective order following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act , which was signed into law last month. Earlier this year, the judge denied the unsealing request because of strict grand jury secrecy laws, known as Rule 6(e).

“The Act applies to unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials that relate to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Consequently, the later-enacted and specific language of the Act trumps Rul