Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is slated to sign a bill that would enable the release of grand jury documents related to the 2006 investigation of sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.
For context, in July 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiated an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier, under the codename “Operation Leap Year“. The probe culminated in a 53-page indictment by June 2007, exposing the depths of Epstein’s alleged sex crimes involving minors.
However, the case took an unexpected turn when Alexander Acosta, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida at the time, brokered a plea deal. This agreement, negotiated with the assistance of attorney Alan Dershowitz, effectively granted Epstein immunity from all federal criminal charges, along with four named co-conspirators and any potential unnamed accomplices.
The Miami Herald reported that the non-prosecution agreement “essentially shut down an ongoing FBI probe” into the possibility of more victims and powerful individuals involved in Epstein’s crimes. The deal, which was kept secret from the victims in violation of federal law, halted further investigations and sealed the indictment.
Acosta later justified the leniency of the deal by claiming he was informed that Epstein “belonged to intelligence” and that the issue was above his “pay grade,” the Daily Beast reported.
Now, Senator Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, was at the forefront of filing the groundbreaking bill, which saw unanimous support in the Senate, passing with a vote of 37-0. The legislation seeks to widen the scope of circumstances under which evidence and grand jury testimony can be made public, Florida’s Voice News reported.
The Epstein scandal, which has continued to stir public interest and outrage, saw the financier secure a considerably lenient plea deal in 2008, after the grand jury probe into his solicitation of minors for sexual activities.
The bill’s passage through the Senate was the final legislative hurdle, with Governor DeSantis affirming his commitment to sign it into law, stating, “All files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity should be made public.”
“While the federal government continues to stonewall accountability, I’m glad the Legislature has taken action to release the grand jury material from the Florida state case. I will sign the bill into law,” DeSantis added.
All files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity should be made public.
While the federal government continues to stonewall accountability, I’m glad the Legislature has taken action to release the grand jury material from the Florida state case.
I will sign the bill… https://t.co/3VjOMMt69a
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 21, 2024
If the bill is signed by DeSantis, it will take effect on July 1, providing a new avenue for public insight into the Epstein case. The release of the grand jury documents could also occur sooner through a lawsuit filed by the Palm Beach Post, which has pursued legal action for transparency since 2019, CBS News reported.
It can be recalled that earlier this year, a set of documents detailed Ghislaine Maxwell’s recruiting techniques, Prince Andrew’s abuse of the trafficked victims, and Bill Clinton’s fondness for “young” girls was released to the public by Judge Loretta Preska. The unsealed cache of documents comes from lawsuits related to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse which potentially included names of over 150 people.
In July 2022, Gateway Pundit lawyers Marc Randazza and Jay Wolman of the Randazza Legal Group, along with GP General Counsel John Burns, filed a motion to intervene in the Guiffre v. Maxwell case in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
GP is asking the Court to unseal all records identifying Epstein’s Sex Clients.
In August 2022, the federal judge overseeing the case denied Gateway Pundit’s efforts to unseal the documents.
However, Gateway Pundit filed an appeal to the federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals, demanding that GP and the public be allowed to access the Epstein Sex Client list.
On February 27, 2023, a “John Doe” interested party (a person whose identity had been sealed by the court because of their affiliation with Epstein) filed a Brief opposing Gateway Pundit’s appeal and asking the Court of Appeals to deny the brief.
The “John Doe”’s arguments are extremely lame. “Doe” merely argues that Gateway Pundit waited too long to request the arguments. According to “Doe,” GP and the public have no interest in the Epstein sex client list because too much time has transpired.
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