Donald Trump says he has not considered pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell
The US president is facing a political furore over the Epstein case and renewed questions about his past relationship with the disgraced financier.
"It's something I haven't thought about," Mr Trump told reporters when asked about the possibility of a pardon for Maxwell.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison in Florida after being found guilty in 2021 of helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
She is currently appealing against her sentence, arguing that a prior plea deal that Epstein took protected her from prosecution.
Maxwell completed a second day of interviews with Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche on Friday, local time, after the Justice Department reached out to her lawyers to see if she had additional information about the case.
David Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, told reporters she answered questions truthfully but he declined to detail what was discussed.
"The truth will come out about what happened with Mr Epstein and she's the person who's answering those questions," Mr Markus said.
Mr Markus said Maxwell has not asked for anything from the US government in exchange for her testimony and had not held discussions about a pardon.
But he added that Maxwell would "welcome any relief", deploring her treatment in federal prison.
The role of Ms Blanche, the second-highest ranking official at the Justice Department and a former personal lawyer to Mr Trump, was unusual.
Senior officials typically do not personally conduct investigative interviews.
US Attorney-General Pam Bondi promised earlier this year to release additional materials related to Epstein's clients and the circumstances surrounding his death.
However, the Justice Department reversed course this month and issued a memo concluding that there was no basis for continued investigations and no evidence of a client list.
Those findings sparked an angry outcry from some of Mr Trump's supporters who long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful.
Asked about the meeting between the attorney-general and Maxwell, Mr Trump said on Friday he was not aware of the details, only that it was taking place.
He then pivoted to other claims, suggesting other high-profile figures should face scrutiny over their ties to Epstein.
Mr Trump appeared with Epstein at social events in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Mr Trump's name, along with many other high-profile individuals, appeared multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. However, Mr Trump has denied ever being on the plane.
Reuters
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