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Ghislaine Maxwell Fights Release of More Jeffrey Epstein Files
Lawyers argue a law forcing public disclosure violates separation of powers.
Feb. 21, 2026 at 11:05pm
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Lawyers for imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are fighting the requested release of 90,000 pages related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell, saying a law used to force the public release of millions of documents is unconstitutional. Maxwell's attorneys argue the documents, which include transcripts of over 30 depositions and private information regarding financial and sexual matters, were improperly obtained by the Justice Department during its criminal probe of Maxwell.
Why it matters
The release of Epstein-related documents has resulted in new revelations about Epstein's decades-long sexual abuse of women and teenage girls. Some victims have complained that their names and personal information were revealed in documents while the names of their abusers were blacked out, raising concerns about privacy and transparency.
The details
Maxwell's lawyers filed papers in Manhattan federal court to try to block the release of documents from a since-settled civil defamation lawsuit brought a decade ago by the late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell. The Justice Department recently asked a judge to lift secrecy requirements on the files. Maxwell's attorneys argue the Justice Department obtained the documents improperly and that a law Congress passed in December to force the release of millions of Epstein-related documents violates the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine.
- In December 2022, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act to force the release of millions of Epstein-related documents.
- In February 2026, the Justice Department recently asked a judge to lift secrecy requirements on the files related to the Giuffre v. Maxwell lawsuit.
The players
Ghislaine Maxwell
A British socialite who was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring.
Jeffrey Epstein
A disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Virginia Giuffre
A late Epstein victim who brought a civil defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell a decade ago.
Todd Blanche
The Deputy Attorney General who interviewed Maxwell for two days after she was moved from a federal prison in Florida to a low-security prison camp in Texas.
What they’re saying
“Congress cannot, by statute, strip this Court of the power or relieve it of the responsibility to protect its files from misuse. To do so violates the separation of powers.”
— Laura Menninger and Jeffrey Pagliuca, Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell
“Under the Constitution's separation of powers, neither Congress nor the Executive Branch may intrude on the judicial power. That power includes the power to definitively and finally resolve cases and disputes.”
— Laura Menninger and Jeffrey Pagliuca, Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell
What’s next
A judge will decide whether to lift the secrecy requirements on the files related to the Giuffre v. Maxwell lawsuit.
The takeaway
This case highlights the ongoing legal battles over the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring, with concerns over privacy, transparency, and the separation of powers between the branches of government.
