Latest news with #Department of Justice
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
DoJ pushes for release of Epstein and Maxwell grand jury transcripts
Transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to the sex-trafficking indictments of the sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, include the testimony of just two law enforcement witnesses, the Department of Justice has said, as it argues for the documents' release. Top justice department officials disclosed in a filing late on Tuesday in New York City federal court that separate grand juries convened to consider the criminal investigations of Epstein and Maxwell, and had heard from only two witnesses. The revelation was made in the course of court wrangling over whether the transcripts of the proceedings should be unsealed, amid the continuing furor over the Epstein scandal which has roiled Donald Trump's second term. The Trump administration is urging the two federal judges who presided over the Epstein and Maxwell grand juries, Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer, to release the testimony, in an attempt to calm the uproar. The Trump administration has come under intense pressure from the president's own base of supporters who were infuriated by the justice department's decision not to release any additional Epstein files about the late, disgraced financier's crimes involving the sex trafficking of girls. The decision jarred with the previous stance of senior administration figures, including Trump himself and the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, who had hyped the expected release of more details of the New York financier's businesses, travels and associations, including a possible list of his financial clients, which all further stoked conspiracies around the well-connected Epstein. Tuesday's submission states that the grand jury tasked with considering the criminal case against Epstein heard only from an FBI agent when it met in June and July 2019. A similar grand jury for Maxwell heard from the same FBI agent and a New York police department detective when it met in June and July 2020 and in March 2021. The memorandum was signed by Jay Clayton, US attorney for the southern district of New York, and included the names of Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche. Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges, officials say, 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 Trump. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with Epstein in the sexual trafficking of minors. She was convicted in December 2021 on charges that she lured teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Last week, she sat for two sets of interviews with justice department officials, including Blanche, in Florida, where she is serving her time in a federal prison, and answered questions 'about 100 different people', her attorney said. Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he had cut off their relationship long ago. But he faces ongoing questions about the Epstein case.. On Tuesday, Trump spoke about connections between Epstein and the president's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. He claimed he evicted the financier from the resort because Epstein 'stole' young female staffers from him, including Virginia Giuffre, who went on to be a key witness against Epstein and Maxwell. Giuffre died in April. Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress but with conditions, including being granted immunity. Her lawyer has written to the House committee, which has subpoenaed her, saying that a deposition without immunity would be a 'non-starter'. The justice department memorandum says that unsealing the transcripts is 'consistent with increasing calls for additional disclosures in this matter'. The Associated Press contributed reporting
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Trump Administration files a second complaint against a federal judge
The Department of Justice has filed a misconduct complaint against US District Court Judge James Boasberg – marking another formal challenge against a federal judge who has pushed back on the Trump administration's policies. The complaint, submitted Monday and obtained by CNN, alleges that Boasberg, the DC judge at the center of cases involving the administration's use of a colonial-era law to send undocumented immigrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador, made comments about President Donald Trump at a Judicial Conference meeting in March that 'undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.' 'While there, Judge Boasberg attempted to improperly influence Chief Justice (John) Roberts and roughly two dozen other federal judges by straying from the traditional topics to express his belief that the Trump Administration would 'disregard rulings of federal courts' and trigger 'a constitutional crisis,'' Attorney General Pamela Bondi's chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, said in the complaint. 'Although his comments would be inappropriate even if they had some basis, they were even worse because Judge Boasberg had no basis,' Mizelle argued, insisting that the Trump administration has complied with court orders. The complaint alleges that days after making the statements, Boasberg 'began acting on his preconceived belief that the Trump Administration would not follow court orders,' pointing to the judge's order restricting the administration's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The Federalist reported on Boasberg's remarks at the conference earlier this month, citing a memorandum it obtained. In response to the concerns raised by Boasberg at the conference, 'Chief Justice Roberts expressed hope that would not happen and in turn no constitutional crisis would materialize,' according to the memorandum. Bondi said on social media Monday night the complaint came at her direction, arguing that Boasberg's 'comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that.' CNN has reached out to Boasberg for comment. The move is yet another escalation in the Trump administration's conflicts with the judiciary and comes after the Department of Justice filed another misconduct complaint against a DC district court judge earlier this year. In February, the department accused Judge Ana Reyes of misconduct during hearings over Trump's executive order that called for banning transgender troops from serving in the US military, the Associated Press reported. The complaint against Boasberg asks the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, to refer the complaint to a special investigative committee, reassign Boasberg's relevant cases to another judge, and 'impose appropriate disciplinary action, including a public reprimand and referral to the Judicial Conference for consideration of impeachment-related recommendations, if the committee finds willful misconduct.' It's extremely unusual for the Justice Department to complain formally about a judge's behavior rather than pursue its agenda through the court system directly. It is also unusual for a public debate to erupt around conversations between judges, which rarely come to light, at their private annual events. Trump's rhetoric opposing the judiciary has been far more aggressive than during his first term. In March, Trump labeled Boasberg a 'Radical Left Lunatic Judge' and called for his impeachment on social media. The action drew a rare rebuke from Roberts, who made a highly unusual statement shortly after Trump's posts. Federal judges hold lifetime appointments, and their impeachment and removal is extremely rare. The House of Representatives has impeached only 15 federal judges since 1803, and eight of those impeachments were followed by convictions in the Senate, according to New York University's Brennan Center for Justice. Boasberg had a relatively nonpartisan record before facing Trump's fury, CNN has previously reported. He was appointed to the DC district court by former President Barack Obama and was previously named to DC's local courts by former President George W. Bush. Boasberg was known for giving lenient punishments to January 6 rioters. In Trump's first term, he released FISA court materials that exposed huge problems with the FBI's probe into connections between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia's election meddling. He also paved the way for conservative groups to obtain some of Hillary Clinton's emails from her private server. CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz, Tierney Sneed, John Fritze, Marshall Cohen and Casey Gannon contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ghislaine Maxwell talked about ‘100 different people' during DOJ's Epstein interview, lawyer says
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, was 'asked about 100 different people' during her interview with the Department of Justice on Friday, her lawyer said. Maxwell, who is serving 20 years for sex trafficking at a federal prison in Florida, faced a second day of questioning from Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, about the Epstein case. 'Ghislaine answered every single question asked of her over the last day and a half, she answered those questions honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability,' Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus, said Friday, outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. 'She was asked about maybe about 100 different people. She answered questions about everybody and she didn't hold anything back,' Markus said. 'She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question. So we're very proud of her.' Blanche interviewed Maxwell Thursday and Friday about others who may have 'committed crimes against victims' as part of the Department of Justice's re-examination of the government's investigation into the Epstein case which has generated much public scrutiny. The Trump administration is facing backlash from its MAGA base for refusing to release more information in the so-called 'Epstein Files.' Despite years of rumors about a so-called 'client list' of high-profile individuals who participated in alleged crimes that Epstein committed, the DoJ and FBI released a memo earlier this month saying no such list existed and no further investigations were warranted. During his brief press conference on Friday, Markus said Maxwell had been 'treated unfairly' for the past five years and that his client had cooperated with the DoJ in its questioning. He said Maxwell did not ask for anything in return, including a pardon. He did however, hint that the president could offer clemency. '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,' Markus said. When asked about Maxwell's questioning Friday morning, President Trump tried to deflect attention away from the situation, encouraging people to 'focus on how well the country is doing.' Trump also said while he had the authority to pardon Maxwell he had not given it much consideration. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was investigated for conducting a years-long sex-trafficking scheme involving girls and women. Epstein died by suicide while in federal prison in 2019 before a trial could take place. Maxwell was investigated and convicted for her role in the scheme. So far, she's the only other person to be charged in connection to the Epstein case. Despite being found guilty, her attorneys have taken an appeal of her conviction to the Supreme Court. Many in Trump's MAGA base had bolstered conspiracy theories about those involved with Epstein, believing the government was covering-up details involving some of the high-profile individuals involved. Even senior members of his administration, such as FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, had spoken about their theories in the case before they took up their posts in the administration. But their sudden reversal once in office disappointed and outraged some MAGA supporters who accused them of continuing a government cover-up of information to protect those involved. The president has attempted to divert attention away from the Epstein Files, an effort that has appeared to backfire. In the weeks following the July 6 memo from the DoJ and FBI, a public spotlight has been cast on Trump's former relationship with Epstein. The president previously said the two were friends for many years, but he has denied any involvement in Epstein's crimes. Trump has not been accused of any formal wrongdoing or charged with a crime. Last week, a Wall Street Journal article reported that the president sent Epstein a lewd birthday card referencing 'secrets.' The president denied sending any card and filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal. Reports from CNN and the Journal also claimed that Bondi alerted Trump, in early spring, that his name appeared in the Epstein Files. Being mentioned in the files does not suggest any wrongdoing, and hundreds of other people were also named. The president denied to reporters earlier this month that his name was in the files. When asked if his name was in the files earlier this month, Trump claimed the Epstein Files were 'made up' by former FBI director James Comey, former president Barack Obama, and former president Joe Biden. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
The U.S. House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next
Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York on July 2, 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) WASHINGTON — A key U.S. House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena U.S. President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process. Here's what could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in a case that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein's death in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting. Subpoena for the Epstein files Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena. The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing 'un-redacted Epstein files.' As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter. Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that 'Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that's what the American people want.' Will Congress depose Ghislaine Maxwell? Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison in Florida where she is serving a lengthy sentence for child sex trafficking. In a congressional deposition, the subject typically has an attorney present to help them answer — or not answer — questions while maintaining their civil rights. Subjects also have the ability to decline to answer questions if it could be used against them in a criminal case, though in this instance that might not matter because Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about. Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week. Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted. 'We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,' Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week. The House wants to subpoena others Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush. It's not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, 'We're going to move quickly on that.' How will Pam Bondi comply? Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information. Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Law School and is a partner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of the subpoena 'depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position.' If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi's response — or if she were to refuse to hand over any information — there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress. It's practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP. Growing pressure on the Trump administration for disclosure Ultimately, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to disclose the files. Politics, policy and the law are all bound up together in this case, and many in Congress want to see a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation. 'We can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,' said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member. The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files. Stephen Groves, The Associated Press
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process. Here's what could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in a case that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein's death in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting. Subpoena for the Epstein files Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena. The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing 'un-redacted Epstein files.' As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter. Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that 'Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that's what the American people want.' Will Congress depose Ghislaine Maxwell? Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison in Florida where she is serving a lengthy sentence for child sex trafficking. In a congressional deposition, the subject typically has an attorney present to help them answer — or not answer — questions while maintaining their civil rights. Subjects also have the ability to decline to answer questions if it could be used against them in a criminal case, though in this instance that might not matter because Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about. Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week. Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted. 'We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,' Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week. The House wants to subpoena others Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush. It's not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, 'We're going to move quickly on that.' How will Pam Bondi comply? Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information. Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Law School and is a partner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of the subpoena 'depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position.' If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi's response — or if she were to refuse to hand over any information — there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress. It's practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP. Growing pressure on the Trump adminitration for disclosure Ultimately, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to disclose the files. Politics, policy and the law are all bound up together in this case, and many in Congress want to see a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation. 'We can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,' said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member. The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files. ___
