Last month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sought to have grand jury transcripts related to Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell made available to the public.

Yet in a bombshell development, this week saw an Obama-appointed federal judge drop the hammer on its request.

Judge rejects DOJ's "entire premise"

According to Breitbart, U.S. Judge Paul Engelmayer released his decision on Monday, calling the DOJ's arguments "disingenuous."

He dismissed the government's "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" as being "demonstrably false."

"A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government’s motion for their unsealing was aimed not at ‘transparency’ but at diversion — aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such," Engelmayer asserted.

"Contrary to the Government’s depiction, the Maxwell grand jury testimony is not a matter of significant historical or public interest," he declared.

DOJ also wants to release grand jury exhibits

"Far from it," the federal judge continued before adding, "It consists of garden-variety summary testimony by two law enforcement agents."

What's more, Engelmayer recalled how "the policy that 'proceedings before a grand jury shall generally remain secret’ is ‘older than our Nation itself.'"

In addition to asking that grand jury transcripts be made unsealed, ABC News reported last week that the DOJ wishes to publicize exhibits which were shown to Epstein and Maxwell's grand juries.

Maxwell, who was given a two-decade-long federal prison sentence for her role in helping Epstein to abuse underage girls, is fighting that effort.

Defense attorney: Maxwell "has no choice" but to oppose motion

David Oscar Markus is Maxwell's attorney, and as The Hill noted, he filed a brief arguing that his client "has no choice" but to oppose the DOJ's motion.

"Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable, and her due process rights remain," Markus wrote.

The lawyer also highlighted how Engelmayer will not allow his client to review the material in question despite there being no objections from the DOJ.

"Given that she is actively litigating her case and does not know what is in the grand jury record, she has no choice but to respectfully oppose the government’s motion to unseal it," Markus stressed.