(MENAFN- Live Mint) A federal judge in Florida on Friday (December 5) authorized the Justice Department to release grand jury transcripts from its sex-trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein - documents long sought for their potential insight into the disgraced financier's connections to influential figures, including President Donald Trump.

US District Judge Rodney Smith approved the move after the DOJ requested permission to unseal the records.

The request followed Congress' passage of a bill requiring the Attorney General to disclose all unclassified files tied to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.

Trump reverses position on release

Trump had previously opposed unsealing the Epstein files but shifted his stance shortly before lawmakers voted on the disclosure bill, which he signed into law on November 19. The reversal came amid renewed political pressure across the parties.

The documents are expected to draw interest from both Trump critics and parts of his own political base, many of whom have pushed for transparency surrounding Epstein's network and the circumstances of his 2019 death in a Manhattan jail - ruled a suicide.

Trump called focus on case a 'Democratic hoax'

In recent months, Trump has shifted his rhetoric, arguing that renewed scrutiny of Epstein is a“Democratic hoax” designed to undermine his administration and distract from what he calls its achievements.

The timing and content of the soon-to-be-released transcripts are expected to further fuel debate in Washington and among the public as the politically explosive case resurfaces once again.

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