The U.S. Justice Department has requested a federal judge overseeing the Jeffrey Epstein case to maintain secrecy around the identities of two individuals who received substantial payments from him in 2018, according to NBC News. The outlet reported that it had sought disclosure of the names of those who received the funds.

The Justice Department cited privacy concerns raised by the two individuals as the rationale for withholding their identities, NBC News stated. The report highlighted that one associate was paid $100,000 and the other $250,000 in 2018, shortly after the Miami Herald began publishing investigative articles criticizing Epstein’s 2008 plea deal in Florida. Under the terms of that agreement, prosecutors ensured the individuals would not face prosecution.

The payments surfaced publicly following Epstein’s 2019 indictment and arrest in New York, when federal prosecutors argued he should remain incarcerated to prevent witness tampering. They referenced the transactions as evidence, noting the funds were transferred from a trust account controlled by Epstein. Both recipients were identified as potential co-conspirators in the case.

Prosecutors described one individual as an employee named in the indictment, alleging she and others facilitated Epstein’s trafficking of minors by coordinating their encounters at his residences in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida. NBC News revealed that the outlet had requested U.S. District Judge Richard Berman to unseal the redacted names.

Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated the individuals had not waived their privacy rights and explicitly objected to the release of their information in a July 2019 letter. He argued the names should remain sealed to protect their “legitimate privacy interests.” The judge set a deadline of September 12th for a response to the Justice Department’s request.