Editing Openai/69683f33-018c-800b-835d-41608d476106 (section)

===== ✅ 3. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman (initially denied) =====
* Appointed by: President Bill Clinton (Democrat).
* Ruling: At least in earlier rulings, he denied a DOJ motion to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein’s 2019 federal case, saying that grand jury secrecy wasn’t overridden. Anadolu Ajansı<ref>{{cite web|title=Anadolu Ajansı|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-judge-blocks-release-of-epstein-grand-jury-documents/3664976|publisher=Anadolu Ajansı|access-date=2026-01-15}}</ref> - Note: Subsequent reporting indicates courts later ordered release of many materials under the new Epstein Files Transparency Act — but earlier blocks were from this same judge. The Washington Post<ref>{{cite web|title=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/10/epstein-files-release-order/|publisher=The Washington Post|date=2025-12-10|access-date=2026-01-15}}</ref>