Florida to Release Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury Documents
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he will sign a bill unanimously passed by the legislature to release grand jury material from the state’s 2006 investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
The documents could shed light on why Epstein only faced minimal charges in 2006, despite evidence of sexual abuse of underage girls. He later pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution and was sentenced to just 18 months in jail.
“All files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activity should be made public,” DeSantis wrote online. “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 questioned why the Biden administration has not released additional federal Epstein files.
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His brother Mark Epstein recently shared photos of his body that he says raise doubts about his death being a suicide.
New York City’s Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as hanging, but a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein’s family suggests evidence points to homicide. The medical examiner firmly stands by her suicide finding.
Mark Epstein initially accepted the suicide ruling, thinking his brother wanted to avoid incarceration. But examiners told him the injuries looked too much like homicide.
The photos show ligature marks on Epstein’s neck resembling a thin wire or rope. Mark Epstein says this warrants investigation into who could have killed his brother and how it was staged to look like a suicide.
The impending release of the grand jury documents will hopefully provide more clarity on the lenient 2008 plea deal and suspicious circumstances around Epstein’s death. Many hope the records will bring some measure of justice for the underage victims abused by Epstein and his wealthy associates.