Outrage Over DOJ’s Approach
NEW YORK — Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking ring are voicing outrage at the Justice Department’s handling of efforts to unseal grand jury testimony, as well as its recent cooperation with Maxwell, a convicted sex offender.
In letters sent to federal judges, several victims — through their attorneys — accused the DOJ of actions that “smack of a cover-up,” calling the department’s behavior “cowardly” and claiming the Trump administration has treated them as “at best, an afterthought.”
Victims fear that the government’s treatment of Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence, risks undoing the only measure of justice they have received for crimes that the government itself has acknowledged harmed more than 1,000 girls and young women.
Support for Transparency — But With Conditions
Lawyers Demand Protection for Victims
Most victims have not opposed the release of the transcripts outright. Many agree the public has a right to know the truth, but they stress that unsealing must be done with “extreme care” to protect survivors’ safety, privacy, and dignity.
Bradley Edwards, Brittany Henderson, and Paul Cassell — representing multiple victims, including some who testified at Maxwell’s trial — wrote that transparency cannot come at the expense of the very people the justice system is supposed to protect.
They highlighted the government’s failure to consult victims before filing its unsealing request, a step they argue is legally required and one the DOJ has failed to take in previous Epstein-related proceedings.
History of Ignoring Victims’ Rights
In 2019, a federal judge found that prosecutors in Florida had violated the law by striking a secret non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in 2007 without informing victims. That deal, brokered by then–U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, shielded Epstein from federal charges — and Acosta later served as Trump’s Labor Secretary.
Edwards and his co-counsel warned that recent moves by the DOJ, including Maxwell’s transfer to a lower-security facility and her public appearances from prison, could be precursors to a potential clemency bid from former President Donald Trump.
“For some survivors, Maxwell’s conviction is the only meaningful measure of criminal accountability,” they wrote. “Its erosion would be devastating.”
Lawyers Slam “Cowardly” DOJ Position
Push for Broader Disclosures
Sigrid McCawley, attorney for Annie Farmer — one of the few victims to testify against Maxwell — accused the DOJ of “cowardly” avoiding further investigations into possible accomplices.
While McCawley supports releasing the testimony, she says it is not enough. She is calling for the government to release over 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence tied to the case. She also criticized the DOJ’s intention to redact third-party names, saying such moves “smack of a cover-up.”
Demand for Full Transparency
Another victims’ lawyer, John Scarola, urged the court to order the release of all Epstein-related records in government possession — including complete transcripts of every Maxwell interview — with only victim identities redacted.
An anonymous victim represented by Edwards also pleaded for greater transparency, arguing that access to the evidence is necessary for potential legal action against institutions or individuals involved in the trafficking scheme.
Not All Agree on Unsealing
One letter stood out in opposition. Neil Binder, representing clients whose names were withheld from public filings, urged the court to keep the transcripts sealed. Binder argued that his clients were “innocent third parties” at the time of the allegations and that releasing their names could cause “irreparable harm” simply through association with the case.
The Stakes for Survivors
While opinions differ on the extent of disclosure, victims and their advocates are united in one concern — that any step toward leniency for Maxwell, combined with incomplete transparency, could strip survivors of the last remaining accountability in one of the most notorious sex trafficking cases in U.S. history.
