They can’t do that, they don’t have control over the files right now (all they control at the moment is the secrecy stamp). If they succeed in gaining control of the documents themselves, they will sort out everything about Trump and pretend it never existed. The problem is that other prosecutorial offices besides SDNY may have copies lying around, so it won’t be entirely easy. But until they have control of SDNY, the files will likely remain untouched and sealed.
Trump already tried during his last term to seize control of SDNY, mainly by attempting to fire its chief, Geoffrey Berman, and replace him. Berman refused to resign voluntarily. After legal chaos, he finally stepped down only once his deputy, Audrey Strauss, was in place, something he saw as a way to preserve the office’s independence. (Geoffrey Berman later wrote a book describing how Trump and Barr tried to use SDNY as a political tool, for example to protect Trump and go after his enemies.)
The Trump administration took fresh steps in the early days after he returned to the presidency to take control of SDNY. In January 2025, the administration replaced the sitting Attorney with Danielle Sassoon as Acting US Attorney for SDNY, pending confirmation of their chosen candidate, Jay Clayton. Clayton was installed as Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York on April 16, but has not yet been confirmed by the Senate for a permanent appointment. Once that happens, the process should move quickly, perhaps you’ll even see the doctored files as early as this summer. However, he’s being blocked by the home-state senators (Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand), who have refused to return their so-called “blue slips.”
Something to consider is who Jeffrey and Ghislaine were, and are. There are bound to be films documenting the assaults. The problem for your democracy is that there will likely be footage of Democrats as well as Republicans, and of Trump.
Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving her 20-year sentence at FCI Tallahassee in Florida, a low-security facility with an adjacent detention center where inmates can participate in voluntary programs such as art, sports, and yoga. It’s a surprisingly pleasant setting, more like a resort, really, and it doesn’t even have walls.