Family of Virginia Giuffre pleads with Trump not to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell
The request comes in the wake of U.S. deputy attorney General Todd Blanche's meeting with Maxwell at a Florida prison, and days after Trump suggested that he ended his friendship with Epstein because he poached employees from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, including Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year.
Blanche facilitated the meeting with Maxwell, a British socialite and the daughter of late media mogul Robert Maxwell, in an ongoing effort by the Justice Department to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from some of Trump's supporters over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.
Story continues below advertisement
The encounter stoked speculation that Trump may pardon Maxwell. On Friday, she was moved from a prison in Florida to a lower-security prison camp in Texas.
'We can confirm, Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan, in Bryan, Texas,' the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement.
The prison is described as a minimum-security federal prison camp housing 635 female inmates.
Maxwell had previously been held at FCI Tallahassee, a low-security federal correctional institution with a detention centre housing 1,191 male and female inmates.
Giuffre's family said Trump's invocation of her earlier this week was unexpected and questioned whether he was aware of the full extent of Maxwell and Epstein's abuse of their late relative.
'It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago. It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions, especially given his statement two years later that his good friend Jeffrey 'likes women on the younger side … no doubt about it.' We and the public are asking for answers; survivors deserve this,' the family said.
View image in full screen
Pictured are Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump at the 50th anniversary of the Ford Modeling Agency and Pantene hair care products on Oct. 30, 1997. Richard Corkery / Getty Images
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president mentioned Giuffre in response to a question from a reporter who mentioned her.
Story continues below advertisement
'He did not bring her up. The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club for being a creep to his female employees,' she said in a statement, NBC News reported.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Giuffre's family said it was 'convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell who targeted and preyed upon our then 16-year-old sister, Virginia, from Mar-a-Lago, where she was working in 2000, several years before Epstein and President Trump had their falling out.'
The Giuffre family responded Friday to Maxwell's transfer to a new prison facility and criticized the Trump administration's 'preferential treatment' of the convicted sex offender, as reported by CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
A new statement from the family of Virginia Giuffre and several of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's accusers:
'It is with horror and outrage that we object to the preferential treatment convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has received. Ghislaine Maxwell is a…
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 1, 2025
Story continues below advertisement
'Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency. Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum security luxury prison in Texas,' they said.
The family said Maxwell's transfer is 'the justice system failing victims right before our eyes,' and that the American people should be outraged by it.
They also urged the Trump administration not to 'credit a word Maxwell says,' and accused the government of orchestrating 'a cover-up.'
'The victims deserve better,' the statement concluded.
Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus, said Friday there have been 'no asks and no promises' regarding a pardon but told reporters that his client 'would welcome any relief.'
Meanwhile, Giuffre's family had previously said clemency for Maxwell should never be an option.
'The government and the President should never consider giving Ghislaine Maxwell any leniency,' the family said.
'Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life for the extraordinary violence and abuse she put not just our sister Virginia through, but many other survivors, who may number in the thousands,' they said.
Story continues below advertisement
Asked last week if he would pardon Maxwell, Trump told reporters he had not considered it but that he was 'allowed to do it.'
A Trump administration official told the outlet after the family's initial statement was released that 'no leniency is being given or discussed.'
'The president himself has said that clemency for Maxwell is not something he is even thinking about at this time,' they said.
— With files from The Associated Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Record number of people leaving B.C., mostly for Alberta and Ontario
B.C. has historically been a place many move to for employment opportunities and an active lifestyle, but that appears to no longer be the case. Economic perspectives from the Business Council of British Columbia, which tracked interprovincial migration, found that out-migration of B.C. residents to other provinces surged to almost 70,000 people over the last few years. The business council said this was a record level — by comparison, the next closest peaks in out-migration were 64,000 in 1998 and 65,000 in 1975. Meanwhile, the report found that people moving to B.C. from across Canada dropped to around 55,0000, which is below the long-term average of around 62,000. 'What we heard repeatedly is people who are leaving are leaving by necessity and not by choice,' Braden McMillan with the Business Council of B.C. said. Story continues below advertisement 'We heard that across the province, people were not just sending us snippets, they were sending full essays.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Of the more than 3,000 respondents to the business council, 36 per cent of respondents pointed directly at housing. Twenty-eight per cent blamed taxes and regulations for leaving B.C. and 23 per cent expressed concerns about jobs and wages, while 18 per cent pointed to a lack of public services. 1:57 'Stay with BC' campaign aims at keeping young people in province 'When other provinces like Alberta or Washington are rolling out the red carpet, we cannot be rolling out the red tape. We need to be focused on the economy,' McMillan said. Gavin Dew, the B.C. Conservative economic development critic said these numbers are concerning because B.C. is losing the next generation of people who can't see a future in the province. Story continues below advertisement The majority of people who left B.C. went to either Alberta or Ontario, with two-thirds of those leaving being under the age of 40. The provincial government says they are attempting to put in place conditions that make staying in B.C. worthwhile. 'I can't speak to the individual decisions of British Columbians but what I can say (is) we are tackling issues like cost of living,' B.C.'s deputy Premier Niki Sharma said.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
B.C. court rejects challenge of Mount Polley dam, says consultation was 'deep'
The B.C. Supreme Court has dismissed a First Nation's bid to stop a tailings dam from being raised at the Mount Polley mine site, which suffered a catastrophic dam collapse that spilled millions of litres of waste and water 11 years ago. The Xatsull First Nation claimed the province's approval of the plan to raise the level of the dam in B.C.'s Interior by four metres was improper and done without 'meaningful' consultation with the nation. 4:31 Will charges ever be laid in the Mt. Polley mine disaster? But Justice Michael Tammen ruled Wednesday that the provincial government's consultation with the Xatsull was proper. Story continues below advertisement 'I view the consultation here as deep and, importantly, the process employed by the province provided Xatsull with ample opportunity to present their perspective,' Tammen said. The First Nation said in a statement it was disappointed in the ruling. 'This is the same facility that breached and devastated Xatsull's territory in 2014 — the worst mining disaster on record. Its impacts are still harming our nation's rights, culture and way of life today,' it said. 'We will be reviewing the decision as well as exploring our options to determine next steps.' Imperial Metals president Bryan Kynoch told reporters in a conference call Wednesday that the court's finding was an 'important decision for the mine.' 'Being able to move ahead with the raise helps us keep operations stable and avoid unnecessary interruptions and disruptions,' he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Raising the dam would allow the mine to continue depositing tailings, but Kynock said they're still awaiting another permit amendment that would extend the life of the mine significantly. 'If that doesn't come soon, we may be put in jeopardy of significantly revising operational plans or even ceasing operation if the amendment process is not expedited,' he said. 'While today's decision gives us some clarity, we're clearly not out of the woods yet.' Story continues below advertisement He said the company has the support of the Williams Lake First Nation, and it's 'worked hard' to negotiate and co-operate with the Xatsull First Nation in the past. Tammen found the province fulfilled its duty to consult, and said that had he found otherwise, he would not have hesitated to grant the Xatsull's wishes to have the decision approving the plan reconsidered. 2:11 Mt. Polley mine reopens after tailings pond spill Tammen said Mount Polley Mining Corp.'s plan to raise the tailings storage level was 'comparatively modest,' and the rationale for provincial approval 'readily apparent.' The court had been expected to rule on an application for an injunction Wednesday with a decision on the nation's judicial review to follow, but Tammen dismissed the Xatsull's legal challenge outright and found no basis to grant an injunction to stop the plan from moving ahead. Story continues below advertisement Tammen said raising the dam as proposed 'does not increase the scope of operations at the mine, nor does it increase the ecological footprint of ongoing mining operations.' The judge said the tailings dam failed 'catastrophically' in 2014, which 'has in turn caused widespread and long-lasting environmental damage and corresponding impacts to Xatsull's Aboriginal title, rights, culture, and way of life.' 'Xatsull is obviously and understandably extremely concerned with the potential for a further failure and thus has a corresponding interest in ensuring that the mine is being operated in an environmentally responsible and safe manner,' he said. The judge said he didn't want to dismiss, diminish or minimize the 'deleterious' effects of the tailings dam failure, which is still the subject of civil litigation and Fisheries Act charges against the company. 2:09 Aerials of destruction caused by Mount Polley Mine tailings pond breach Lawyers for Mount Polley and the provincial government claimed the risk of a future tailings dam failure was 'speculative,' while the judge characterized 'it as remote and incapable of even approximate quantification.' Story continues below advertisement The judge ruled that the province's duty to consult relates to only 'current government conduct' rather than any past wrongs or failings, and must focus on 'adverse impacts' from a specific proposal and not 'larger adverse impacts of the project of which it is a part.' Tammen said it was reasonable for B.C.'s environmental assessment office to consider impacts on the First Nation's constitutional rights as a 'starting point' during the consultations that happened during the permitting process. 'That process was aimed at the overarching safety and design issues that were at the heart of Xatsull's concerns,' the judge said. 'If Xatsull asserted other impacts … beyond the risk of further failure of the (tailings storage facility), they had ample opportunity to make those known to the (environmental assessment office), but did not do so.' Chief Rhonda Phillips said earlier this year that the province was allowing the work to proceed without a valid environmental assessment certificate at the site of the spill that sent millions of tonnes of water and tailings into the environment on the nation's territory in B.C.'s Cariboo region. Phillips had said 'meaningful' reform is needed in the aftermath of the 2014 spill because the provincial government is still approving 'risky storage methods' while failing to adequately consult the nation.
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Federal agents hid in back of rental truck at start of raid outside LA Home Depot
Published Aug 06, 2025 • 3 minute read This image taken from video shows U.S. Border Patrol agents jumping out of a Penske box truck during an immigration raid at a Home Depot in Los Angeles, on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Photo by Matt Finn / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — U.S. Border Patrol agents jumped out of the back of a rented box truck and made arrests Wednesday at a Los Angeles Home Depot store during an immigration raid that an agency official called 'Operation Trojan Horse.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The early morning raid near downtown L.A. came just days after a federal appeals court upheld a federal judge's order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California. 'For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again,' acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli posted on the social platform X after the raid. 'The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.' Messages were sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking details on the raid, including how many people were arrested. U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Greg Bovino reposted Fox News reports of Monday's arrests on X, calling the action 'Operation Trojan Horse.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Photos on social media showed the moment the rear door of the rented Penske truck opened, revealing several uniformed agents with guns. A spokesperson for Penske Truck Rental said the company was looking into the use of its vehicles by federal officials, saying its regulations prohibit transporting people in truck cargo areas. 'The company was not made aware that its trucks would be used in today's operation and did not authorize this,' spokesperson Randolph P. Ryerson said in an email. 'Penske will reach out to DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future.' Since June, the Los Angeles region has been a battleground in the Trump administration's aggressive immigration strategy that spurred protests and the deployment of the National Guards and Marines for more than a month. Federal agents have rounded up immigrants without legal status to be in the U.S. from Home Depots, car washes, bus stops, and farms. Some U.S. citizens have also been detained. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lupe Carrasco Cardona, an educator with Union del Barrio, said members of her advocacy group were conducting regular patrols at the Home Depot early Monday when they saw a Penske truck pull into the parking lot, advertising work to the day laborers there. Immigrant workers, some with legal status and others without, often wait in Home Depot parking lots to be hired for various day jobs. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'They opened the back, they hopped out and they started indiscriminately just grabbing people,' Cardona said. Unmarked white vans with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived shortly after the truck to participate in the operation, Cardona said. The organization has identified three street vendors and four day laborers that were arrested, but they were still trying to account for others. Family members said one street vendor tried to show evidence of holding asylum before he was arrested, she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Last month, a federal judge temporarily blocked federal agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate arrests after the ACLU, Public Counsel and other advocacy groups sued over the practices. Attorneys for the government argued that the order hinders agents from carrying out immigration enforcement, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal on Friday upheld the order. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has previously said that 'enforcement operations are highly targeted.' The National Day Laborer Organizing Network condemned Wednesday's raid, calling targeted workers the backbone of the local economy. 'Today's raid staged by agents in cowboy hats jumping out of a rented van with a TV crew in tow marks a dangerous escalation in the Trump Administration's assault on immigrant communities, the courts, and the people of Los Angeles,' Pablo Alvarado, the group's co-executive director, said in a statement. Editorial Cartoons World Celebrity Canada Toronto Blue Jays
