In late 2020, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska granted Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George permission to access sealed court files from the Giuffre v. Maxwell civil case. George had requested these materials—including Ghislaine Maxwell’s sworn depositions, exhibits, and related documents—to aid her office’s investigation and civil racketeering lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate. Judge Preska approved the request with limitations, allowing the Virgin Islands to review the documents under a protective order that ensured they remained sealed from the public. This decision marked a significant development in George’s effort to trace Epstein’s financial networks and the movement of assets and accomplices connected to his sex-trafficking operation.

Preska’s order emphasized that the sensitive materials were to be used exclusively for the Virgin Islands’ legal proceedings and not disclosed publicly or to outside parties. Any violation of those terms could result in sanctions. The ruling reflected Preska’s attempt to balance two competing priorities: maintaining the confidentiality of victims and witnesses while still enabling government investigators to pursue accountability. The court’s authorization ultimately strengthened Denise George’s civil case by providing her office access to testimony and records that directly linked Epstein’s financial operations to activities on his private Caribbean island, Little St. James.


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