(New York State Sex Offender Registry | AP)A federal judge in Manhattan on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s request to release grand jury transcripts from Justice Department investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. The department asked the court last month to unseal the grand jury transcripts , which are generally secret, saying there was “abundant public interest” in the case. “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. Trump calls for the release of Jeffrey Epstein grand jury testimony Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed a formal request to release grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein. Manhattan-based judge Engelmayer falls under the 2nd Circuit, where precedent allows for the public release of grand jury materials under certain special circumstances.