logo
Ghislaine Maxwell finishes Epstein interviews with Justice Department officials

Ghislaine Maxwell finishes Epstein interviews with Justice Department officials

"She answered those questions honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability," David Oscar Markus told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maxwell met with deputy attorney general Todd Blanche.
"She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question, so we're very proud of her," Mr Markus said.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee.
She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein, a wealthy, well-connected financier, sexually abuse underage girls.
Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell's links to famous people, such as royals, presidents and billionaires, including US President Donald Trump.
In a social media post this week, Mr Blanche said Maxwell would be interviewed because of President Trump's directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes.
Mr Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago.
But he faces ongoing questions about the Epstein case, overshadowing his administration's achievements.
On Friday, reporters pressed the Republican president about pardoning Maxwell, but he deflected, emphasising his administration's successes.
Mr Markus said Maxwell "was asked maybe about 100 different people".
ADVERTISEMENT
"The deputy attorney general is seeking the truth," Mr Markus said.
"He asked every possible question, and he was doing an amazing job."
Mr Markus said he did not ask for anything for Maxwell in return, though he acknowledged that Mr Trump could pardon her.
"Listen, the president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way," Mr Markus said.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from attorney general Pam Bondi.
The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.
Maxwell is appealing against her conviction, based on the government's pledge years ago that any potential Epstein co-conspirators would not be charged, Mr Markus said.
Epstein struck a deal with federal prosecutors in 2008 that shifted his case to Florida state court, where he pleaded guilty to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution.
Epstein in 2019 and Maxwell in 2020 were charged in federal court in New York.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

NASA says it will lose about 20 percent of its workforce as a result of Trump cuts
NASA says it will lose about 20 percent of its workforce as a result of Trump cuts

The Journal

timea day ago

  • The Journal

NASA says it will lose about 20 percent of its workforce as a result of Trump cuts

The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce — at the same time as the president prioritises plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. In an emailed statement, NASA said around 3,000 employees took part in the second round of its deferred resignation program, which closed late yesterday. Combined with the 870 who joined the first round and regular staff departures, the agency's civil servant workforce is set to drop from more than 18,000 before Trump took office in January to roughly 14,000, a more than 20 per cent decrease. Those leaving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the deferred resignation program will be placed on administrative leave until an agreed departure date. An agency spokesperson said the figures could shift slightly in the coming weeks. Advertisement 'Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organization and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,' the agency said. Earlier this year, the Trump administration's proposed NASA budget put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars front and centre, slashing science and climate programs. The White House says it wants to focus on 'beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars.' China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US program, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays. NASA is still run by an acting administrator after the administration's initial pick to lead the agency, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman — endorsed by former Trump advisor Elon Musk — was ultimately rejected by the Republican president. © Agence France-Presse

‘You should really be looking at Bill Clinton not Jeffrey Epstein,' says Trump as pressure grows for release of files relating to late sex offender
‘You should really be looking at Bill Clinton not Jeffrey Epstein,' says Trump as pressure grows for release of files relating to late sex offender

Irish Independent

time2 days ago

  • Irish Independent

‘You should really be looking at Bill Clinton not Jeffrey Epstein,' says Trump as pressure grows for release of files relating to late sex offender

Mr Trump was addressing reporters as he departed the White House for a visit to Scotland, where he owns three golf courses, when he was asked whether he'd consider a pardon for Epstein's convicted sex-trafficker associate, Ghislane Maxwell. Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence in Florida, has been meeting with Todd Blanche, the president's ex-criminal defence attorney who now serves as the deputy attorney general. Mr Blanche has sought to defuse anger among Mr Trump's supporters over the failure to release documents from Epstein's case by interviewing his associate. After Mr Trump replied that he did not know much about Maxwell's talks with Mr Blanche and stated that he's not currently considering a pardon, he was asked if the convicted criminal – who is alleged to have lied under oath on numerous occasions – could be trusted. He told reporters that he trusts Mr Blanche as a 'professional lawyer'. 'You know, you should focus on Clinton. You should focus on the president of Harvard, the former president of Harvard. He should focus on some of the hedge-fund guys — I'll give you a list,' Mr Trump said. He later said that while he is 'allowed' to pardon Maxwell, he hasn't considered doing so. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I haven't thought about,' Mr Trump said. Mr Blanche is expected to continue interviewing Maxwell at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, near the federal prison where she is serving her 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Pressed further on what he hopes Mr Blanche will get from meeting with Maxwell, Mr Trump again attempted to deflect with talk of former presidents and the same former higher education officials. 'People should really focus on how well the country is doing, or they should focus on the fact that Barack Hussein Obama led a coup. Or they should focus on the fact that Larry Summers from Harvard, that Bill Clinton, who you know very well, and lots of other friends, really close friends, of… Jeffrey Epstein should be spoken about and they should speak about them, because they don't talk about them. They talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more 'Todd is a great attorney, but you want to be speaking about Larry Summers. You ought to be speaking about some of his friends that are hedge-fund guys. They're all over the place. You ought to be speaking about Bill Clinton, who went to the island 28 times. I never went to the island. I don't even know what they're talking about.' The case of Epstein, a former maths teacher turned financier who was arrested for alleged sex trafficking by federal authorities in 2019, has been a long-time fixation for many of Mr Trump's Maga supporters who believe they contain damaging information on prominent Democrats and other liberal celebrities. For years, the president's supporters have pushed for the release of what they believe was a list of powerful people to whom Epstein is alleged to have trafficked young girls. They also want the release of other information they believe would reflect negatively on members of the Democratic Party, various Hollywood celebrities, and other purported elites who they believe to be part of a sinister cabal controlling world events. Mr Trump indicated during his 2024 campaign that his administration would release the documents in question if he were victorious in last year's presidential election. The president was once closely associated with and spoke highly of the disgraced financier and his proclivity for surrounding himself with young women. Epstein at one point described himself as Mr Trump's 'best friend', leading to speculation that the president has been trying to prevent the release of the files despite a campaign promise to do so because their content would reflect poorly on him. Meanwhile, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday said she will meet Mr Trump in Scotland tomorrow to discuss trade relations between the EU and the US. 'Following a good call with @POTUS, we have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong,' Ms von der Leyen said in a post on X. Mr Trump yesterday said there was a ​50-50 chance or perhaps less that the US would reach a trade agreement with the EU, saying Brussels wanted to 'make a deal very badly'. ​The European Commission on Thursday said a negotiated trade solution was within reach, even as EU members voted to approve counter-tariffs on €93bn of US goods in case the talks collapse.

Ghislaine Maxwell finishes Epstein interviews with Justice Department officials
Ghislaine Maxwell finishes Epstein interviews with Justice Department officials

Irish Independent

time2 days ago

  • Irish Independent

Ghislaine Maxwell finishes Epstein interviews with Justice Department officials

"She answered those questions honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability," David Oscar Markus told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maxwell met with deputy attorney general Todd Blanche. "She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question, so we're very proud of her," Mr Markus said. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee. She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein, a wealthy, well-connected financier, sexually abuse underage girls. Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell's links to famous people, such as royals, presidents and billionaires, including US President Donald Trump. In a social media post this week, Mr Blanche said Maxwell would be interviewed because of President Trump's directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes. Mr Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago. But he faces ongoing questions about the Epstein case, overshadowing his administration's achievements. On Friday, reporters pressed the Republican president about pardoning Maxwell, but he deflected, emphasising his administration's successes. Mr Markus said Maxwell "was asked maybe about 100 different people". ADVERTISEMENT "The deputy attorney general is seeking the truth," Mr Markus said. "He asked every possible question, and he was doing an amazing job." Mr Markus said he did not ask for anything for Maxwell in return, though he acknowledged that Mr Trump could pardon her. "Listen, the president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way," Mr Markus said. Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from attorney general Pam Bondi. The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist. Maxwell is appealing against her conviction, based on the government's pledge years ago that any potential Epstein co-conspirators would not be charged, Mr Markus said. Epstein struck a deal with federal prosecutors in 2008 that shifted his case to Florida state court, where he pleaded guilty to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. Epstein in 2019 and Maxwell in 2020 were charged in federal court in New York.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store