DOJ Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche meets Ghislaine Maxwell amid Trump-Epstein controversy
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal lawyer in multiple federal criminal cases, conducted the meeting with Maxwell at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, according to a report from NBC News.
Blanche confirmed the meeting was part of an ongoing effort to follow up on leads from Epstein's network.
"If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say," Blanche stated on Tuesday.
"No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits."
The President, now 79, was once friendly with Epstein, though he has repeatedly claimed to have distanced himself from the disgraced financier.
Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, called the WSJ report 'fake news,' adding: 'President Trump cut ties with Epstein years ago and kicked him out of his Florida club for being a creep.'
Last week, Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal after it reported he sent a 'sexually suggestive' birthday letter to Epstein in 2003.
Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year sentence following her 2021 conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein's trafficking operation. She remains the only associate of Epstein convicted so far.
The new DOJ meeting, however, signals continued interest in whether Maxwell may have information on additional high-profile individuals potentially involved in Epstein's crimes — a key concern among Trump's political base, who have long suspected a cover-up.
The unexpected meeting drew immediate reaction from Capitol Hill, with Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse questioning Blanche's role and motive.
'Is he really going as [deputy attorney general] or is he going de facto as Trump's personal criminal attorney, Tom Hagen style?' Whitehouse asked, referencing the fictional mob lawyer from The Godfather.
'Will he promise her a pardon for silence, or for a Trump-friendly tale?'
Whitehouse also demanded transparency, asking: 'Who will be in the room? What records will be kept?'
Many of Trump's core supporters continue to push for full disclosure of Epstein's client network, a demand Trump echoed during his 2024 campaign when he pledged to 'release the Epstein files' if re-elected.
Despite this promise, Trump has since downplayed the issue, calling the scandal a 'hoax'.
A July 7 joint memo from the FBI and DOJ claimed that the Epstein documents 'did not contain evidence justifying further investigation,' and dismissed claims that Epstein kept a secret 'client list' or was murdered.
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead by hanging in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving hundreds of victims, many of them minors.
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