Ghislaine Maxwell is not a victim. And if she is pardoned, it won't be for the sake of justice
Maxwell 'just might be a victim', Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly mused on air recently. 'She just might be. There was a rush to judgment … All right, granted, she hung out with Jeffrey Epstein, and I know that's apparently not good, but she's in jail. For how long now? Twenty years.'
To discuss this further, Kelly brought on Alan Dershowitz, whom he introduced as 'one of the greatest attorneys who ever lived'. Which certainly isn't how I'd describe the retired Harvard professor.
Dershowitz, who helped procure a lenient plea deal for Epstein in 2008, also wrote an op-ed for the LA Times in 1997 headlined Statutory Rape Is an Outdated Concept, in which he argued 15 seems 'appropriate' for the age of consent. Dershowitz suggested some 'reasonable people' might even favour 14 – which happens to be the age of some of Epstein's victims. When that op-ed resurfaced in 2019, after Epstein's arrest, Dershowitz defended it, saying he stood by 'the constitutional (not moral) argument' offered.
Dershowitz now reckons Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on five counts of aiding Epstein in his abuse of underage girls and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022, has suffered enough. 'She shouldn't have been in jail for five years for what she is alleged to have done,' Dershowitz told Newsmax on Sunday. 'She served more time than anybody has ever served for any comparable offence.'
I'm sure I don't need to spell out why others seem to be attempting to rebrand Maxwell as the victim of a stitch-up. The Epstein files have turned into a disaster of Trump's own making. He hasn't been able to distract people from the story, so now there is speculation that he is trying to make some sort of deal with Maxwell. Who, by the way, had secretive conversations with Trump's department of justice last week and, on Monday, asked the supreme court to overturn her conviction, saying she was unjustly prosecuted. One can imagine a scenario in which Maxwell releases a few select details about Epstein that absolve Trump and make his enemies look bad in exchange for a pardon. ('I'm allowed to give her a pardon but nobody's approached me with it,' Trump said on Monday.) However, for that hypothetical strategy to be successful, Maxwell's reputation needs to be rehabilitated. She would need to look like a victim rather than a monster.
Which is where Newsmax, and its sudden interest in Maxwell, might help. The cable news channel, which is to the right of Fox News, is essentially a pro-Trump propaganda outlet with strong financial ties to the president. Earlier this month the outlet announced that it had struck a deal for the Trump Media and Technology Group Corp to stream Newsmax on its platform. Which obviously raises a lot of conflict-of-interest questions. 'This is now the Trump network,' one Newsmax insider complained to the Independent last week. 'Even the most conservative people at Newsmax think it's a terrible look and they feel like state-run media.' Also raising questions is the fact that Alex Acosta, the prosecutor who gave Epstein that plea deal in 2008, happens to be on the board of Newsmax.
I don't know what will happen next with Maxwell, but I can tell you that I absolutely believe the women Epstein abused over anchors on Trump's propaganda channel. And I believe those women over Maxwell herself. Epstein's accusers have repeatedly been clear that Maxwell was no victim. 'She didn't just procure girls for Epstein – she participated in their abuse,' accuser Annie Farmer told ABC News on Monday. Now it's looking increasingly likely that, instead of releasing the Epstein files, Trump will release Maxwell instead.
Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
7 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump says US to hit India with 25% tariff starting August 1
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI, July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25% tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1, as well as an unspecified penalty for buying Russian arms and oil - moves that could strain relations with the world's most populous democracy. The U.S. decision singles out India more severely than other major trading partners, and threatens to unravel months of talks between the two countries, undermining a key strategic partner of Washington's and a counterbalance to China. "While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!" In response, the Indian government said in a statement that it was studying the implications of Trump's announcements and remained dedicated to securing a fair trade deal with the U.S. "India and the U.S. have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective," it said. The White House had previously warned India about its high average applied tariffs - nearly 39% on agricultural products - with rates climbing to 45% on vegetable oils and around 50% on apples and corn. Russia continued to be the top oil supplier to India during the first six months of 2025, making up 35% of overall supplies. The United States, the world's largest economy, currently has a $45.7 billion trade deficit with India, the fifth largest. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Trump has been frustrated with the progress of trade talks with India and believed the 25% tariff announcement would help the situation. Hassett said more information on the additional penalty would be made "shortly." The new U.S. tax on imports from India would be higher than many other countries that struck a deal with the Trump administration recently. Vietnam's tariff is set at 20% and Indonesia's at 19%, while the levy for Japan and the European Union is 15%. "This is a major setback for Indian exporters, especially in sectors like textiles, footwear and furniture, as the 25% tariff will render them uncompetitive against rivals from Vietnam and China," said S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisation. The news pushed the Indian rupee down 0.4% to around 87.80 against the U.S. dollar in the non-deliverable forwards market, from its close at 87.42 during market hours. Gift Nifty futures were trading at 24,692 points, down 0.6%. U.S. and Indian negotiators have held multiple rounds of discussions to resolve contentious issues, particularly over market access into India for U.S. agricultural and dairy products. In its latest statement, India said it attached the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of its farmers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. "The government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements," it said. The setback comes despite earlier commitments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump to conclude the first phase of a trade deal by autumn 2025 and expand bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, from $191 billion in 2024. Since India's short but deadly conflict with arch South Asian rival Pakistan, New Delhi has been unhappy about Trump's closeness with Islamabad and has protested, which cast a shadow over trade talks. "Politically the relationship is in its toughest spot since the mid-1990s," said Ashok Malik, partner at advisory firm The Asia Group. "Trust has diminished. President Trump's messaging has damaged many years of careful, bipartisan nurturing of the U.S.-India partnership in both capitals." Besides farm products access, the U.S. had flagged concerns over India's increasingly burdensome import-quality requirements, among its many non-tariff barriers to foreign trade, in a report released in March. The new tariffs will impact Indian goods exports to the U.S., estimated at around $87 billion in 2024, including labour-intensive products such as garments, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewelry, and petrochemicals.
Daily Record
9 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Scots teen unmasked after being jailed for 'Columbine-style' school massacre plot
Winter has been identified and pictured for the first time as his jail sentence is confirmed. A Scots teen who has been locked up for six years for plotting a mass shooting at his own school has been unmasked for the first time. Felix Winter wanted to recreate the horrors of the notorious Columbine massacre in Colorado in the United States in 1999 at his Edinburgh secondary school. He "idolised" the killers who gunned down 12 students and a teacher during a murderous rampage. He was today sentenced to six years in jail for Terrorism offences at the High Court in Glasgow after police unravelled his plans. Reporting restrictions meant he could not be identified or pictured before now, due to his age. Felix, now 18, , from Edinburgh, repeatedly spoke about launching a deadly attack at his secondary school, referring to the planned massacre as "Doomsday" and describing how he would one day "clear it out". The court previously heard that Winter "idolised" the two gunmen responsible for the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, which left 12 students and a teacher dead. A police investigation was launched in summer 2023 after a photograph circulated on social media showing Winter in full combat gear, holding an imitation firearm on school grounds. The image caused widespread panic among pupils and parents. At the time, Winter had already been referred to the UK's anti-terrorism Prevent programme, designed to stop individuals from becoming radicalised. He was also found to hold racist and pro-Nazi views. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Winter pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace and an offence under the Terrorism Act, with his crimes taking place between June 2022 and July 2023. Police have today released a photo of Winter as they praised officers who worked tirelessly during an "extremely complex" investigation. Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said:'This was an extremely complex and fast-moving investigation, and I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the diligence and hard work of the officers who worked tirelessly to gather the evidence and bring the perpetrator to justice. 'The inquiry also underlines the advantages of working closely in partnership as part of the Prevent programme which promotes early intervention through tailored, diversionary support to individuals who may be susceptible to supporting or committing terrorism to help keep our communities safe.'
North Wales Chronicle
39 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Trump announces 25% tariff on India plus penalties for buying Russian energy
The US president said on Wednesday that India 'is our friend' but its tariffs 'are far too high' on US goods. He added that India buys military equipment and oil from Russia, which Mr Trump said has enabled the war in Ukraine. As a result, he intends to charge an additional 'penalty' starting on Friday as part of revised tariffs on multiple countries. The new tariffs could put India at a disadvantage in the US market relative to Vietnam, Bangladesh and, possibly, China, said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. 'We are back to square one as Trump hasn't spelled out what the penalties would be in addition to the tariff,' he added. 'The demand for Indian goods is bound to be hit.' The announcement came after a series of negotiated trade frameworks with the European Union, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia — all of which Mr Trump said would open markets for American goods while enabling the US to raise tax rates on imports. The president views tariff revenues as a way to help offset the budget deficit increases tied to his recent income tax cuts and generate more domestic factory jobs. While he has effectively wielded tariffs as a cudgel to reset the terms of trade, the economic impact is uncertain as most economists expect a slowdown in US growth and greater inflationary pressures as the costs of the taxes are passed along to domestic businesses and consumers. His approach of putting a 15% tariff on America's longstanding allies in the EU is also generating pushback — possibly causing European partners as well as Canada to seek alternatives to US leadership on the world stage. Washington has long sought to develop a deeper partnership with New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established a good working relationship with Mr Trump, and the two leaders are likely to further boost co-operation between their countries. At a population exceeding 1.4 billion people, India is the world's largest country and a possible geopolitical counterbalance to China. India and Russia have close relations, and New Delhi has not supported western sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. When Mr Trump met Mr Modi in February, the US president said India would start buying American oil and natural gas. He discussed his policies on trade and tariffs with reporters accompanying him on Tuesday on the flight home after a five-day visit to Scotland. He declined to comment then about reports that India was bracing for a US tariff rate of at least 25%, saying: 'We're going to see.' Mr Trump also said the outlines of a trade agreement with India had not yet been finalised.
