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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
The most important meeting of Ghislaine Maxwell's life: CAROLINE GRAHAM reveals what happened in nine-hour interrogation and her hopes to move from ‘brutal' federal prison to low-security jail dubbed ‘Camp Cupcake'
Shackled with heavy iron chains around her waist and ankles, and with painful 'box' handcuffs on her bruised and bleeding wrists, Ghislaine Maxwell – prisoner 02879-509 – was led out of cell-block unit 'B'. Maxwell, who has been incarcerated inside 'brutal' Tallahassee Federal Prison since her 2021 conviction on child sex-trafficking charges, was paraded past the general jail population to jeers of 'Paedo!' and 'Molester'.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump-Epstein latest: DOJ to interview Ghislaine Maxwell as White House bans WSJ from president's travel pool and House speaker punts vote
The fallout continues over the administration's handling of its investigation into the late accused sex trafficker. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that the Department of Justice wants to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend. Maxwell was convicted in 2020 of helping the disgraced financier sexually abuse underage girls and is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison. "If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say," Blanche said in a statement posted to X, adding that he has reached out to her counsel and anticipates meeting with her "in the coming days." In a statement to the Associated Press, David Oscar Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, confirmed that they were 'in discussions with the government' and that Maxwell will 'always testify truthfully.' 'We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case,' the statement added. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that he did not know about Blanche's overture to Maxwell, but added that it 'sounds appropriate.' 'I didn't know that they were going to do it,' Trump said. 'I don't really follow that too much. It's sort of a witch hunt, just a continuation of the witch hunt.' The Epstein fallout The announcement comes amid a fierce backlash from some of Trump's supporters over the administration's handling of its investigation into Epstein, who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial. Epstein has long been the focus of conspiracy theories that claim Epstein was murdered to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret 'client list.' Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on Epstein and directed the Justice Department to conduct an exhaustive review of any evidence collected in its investigation. Earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI released a two-page joint memo, concluding that Epstein 'committed suicide in his cell" and had no such 'client list.' The move enraged some Trump loyalists, who accused the president and his administration of breaking their promise to release all of the Epstein files, and put Trump's relationship with Epstein back in the spotlight. White House bans WSJ from travel pool over Epstein report Late last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump sent Epstein a racy birthday letter in 2003. According to the Journal, Trump's letter, along with dozens of others, was part of a leather-bound book put together by Maxwell for the since-disgraced financier's 50th birthday. 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' Trump's letter concluded in a typewritten message to Epstein, per the Journal. The text was 'framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with heavy marker,' the report stated. 'A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair.' Trump denied the report, calling it 'false, malicious, and defamatory,' and sued the newspaper and its owner, Rupert Murdoch. Also read: What Trump has said about Epstein through the years, from 'terrific guy' to 'creep' that 'nobody cares about' On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the paper would be excluded from the pool of news organizations covering Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland. 'Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool to cover the President's trip to Scotland,' Leavitt said in a statement. 'Due to the Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the 13 outlets on board.' The New York Times, a rival newspaper to the Journal, blasted the White House's decision. 'The White House's refusal to let one of the nation's leading news organizations cover the highest office in the country is an attack on core constitutional principles underpinning free speech and free press,' the Times said in a statement. 'Americans regardless of party deserve to know and understand the actions of the president and reporters play a vital role in advancing the public interest. This is simple retribution by a president against a news organization for doing reporting that he doesn't like.' House speaker won't allow Epstein vote before summer recess Late Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not allow any votes related to the Epstein matter before the House takes its weekslong summer recess, which begins on Wednesday afternoon. 'My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing, and if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that,' Johnson told CNN. 'But I don't think we're at that point right now.' Johnson's decision comes despite intense pressure from some members of his own party who are demanding more transparency from the Trump administration on its Epstein investigation. Last week, at least 10 House Republicans joined an effort launched by Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie and California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to force a symbolic vote on the release of more Epstein files. Congress does not have the authority to compel the Justice Department to release the files, but any vote would amount to a loyalty test among House Republicans regarding the Epstein case.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
The View host tears into Republican infighting over Epstein files
The View host Ana Navarro tore into Republicans' responses to the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files during Tuesday's (15 July) program. It comes as a growing number of the president's supporters have complained after he encouraged people to move on from the Epstein files. For years, right-wing influencers circulated theories online about the government's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his death in federal prison, perpetuating claims that a ring of high-profile, powerful individuals helped cover up the convicted pedophile's actions and ensure he never stood trial. But last week's Justice Department and FBI memo shut down many of those theories, including the existence of a 'client list,' and disappointed many Trump supporters who refused to believe the absence of bombshell revelations. "It turns out that when you spend years building a five-alarm fire, you can't put it out by pissing on it," Ms Navarro said.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Todd Chrisley Says His ‘Sole Intent' While in Prison ‘Every Day' Was to Make Staff ‘Miserable'
Todd Chrisley revealed he didn't get along with the staff in prison during an appearance on the July 1 episode of daughter Savannah's Unlocked podcast Todd revealed that he worked to make correctional officers' lives "even more miserable" than they made his during his time behind bars Todd and his wife, Julie Chrisley, were two years into their collective 15-year prison sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion when President Donald Trump issued them full pardons in MayTodd Chrisley is revealing his prison pet peeve — and how he dealt with it. During an appearance on daughter Savannah's Unlocked podcast on Tuesday, July 1, Todd and his wife, Julie Chrisley, opened up about their time behind bars. While the family patriarch, 56, said he rarely had conflict with other inmates at Florida's Federal Prison Camp Pensacola during his two-year tenure, he admitted that he didn't exactly get along with those who worked there. 'I told staff off,' Todd shared. 'I told C.O.s [correctional officers] and staff [off].' When Julie, 52, noted that she never experienced that in the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., Todd teased that it was because she was probably 'up there being Miss Pollyanna,' referencing the overly-optimistic character in Eleanor H. Porter's famous 1913 novel. Not everything was entirely smooth for Julie, though. Savannah, 27, recalled an incident that occurred at the beginning of her mom's sentence involving a staff member. 'I will never forget at the very beginning, you called me, and you were all to pieces because that one a------ C.O. [correctional officer],' Savannah said. 'He locked her in the cafeteria!' 'Oh yeah, he was a food service [worker],' Julie noted. 'Yeah. He's since retired.' Savannah further alleged that 'he did it because he was pissed off at her — he did it on purpose.' In a statement to PEOPLE, a representative for FMC Lexington wrote that "Humane treatment of the men and women in our custody is a top priority," although they did not comment directly in regards to Julie. 'He was just a miserable human being, he really was,' Julie claimed as Todd agreed and said, 'They all are.' 'I would have put a BP8 on his a--,' he added, referring to filing an administrative complaint. 'I was surrounded by miserable human beings. And every day, I got up and it was my sole intent to make their life even more miserable because they were there to make our lives miserable.' Both Todd and Julie went on to explain that some inmates made an effort to 'buddy up to the staff,' and Todd said 'never understood' why. 'They'd go tell on everyone else,' he remembered. 'And I would say to them, I'd say, 'What in your mind makes you think that they're your friends? It is us against them.'' 'They are not your friends, that's for sure,' Julie quipped. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Chrisley Knows Best alums had been incarcerated since January 2023 after being found guilty on charges of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. They were sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison, although that number was later reduced by about two years each. Following several attempts to appeal their convictions, President Donald Trump issued Todd and Julie full pardons on May 27 of this year. They returned home the next day and have continued to maintain their innocence. Read the original article on People
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Menendez to report to prison for 11-year term for corruption
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is scheduled to report to federal prison on Tuesday for an 11-year sentence after being convicted for a bribery and corruption scheme that even his lawyer admitted earned him the nickname "Gold Bar Bob." Though he maintains his innocence, Menendez was convicted on all 16 counts last July. At trial, federal prosecutors argued that the longtime senator accepted bribes of gold bars, hundreds of thousands in cash and other luxury items from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for favors that benefited the trio, as well as the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez, 71, spent the last day before reporting to the federal prison in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife, Nadine, who was also convicted in the bribery scheme and is set to be sentenced in September. The couple were spotted together Monday walking into a credit union in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., according to photos obtained by the New York Post. In court papers last month, Menendez's lawyers revealed that he is expected to be housed at a facility in eastern Pennsylvania that has both a medium-security prison and a minimum-security prison camp. Given the white-collar nature of his crimes, it is likely he will end up in the camp, according to the Associated Press. The prison, the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, is about 118 miles west of New York City. It is home to about 1,200 inmates, including ex-New York City organized crime boss James Coonan and former gas station owner Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, whom the New York Post dubbed "Gas-Station Gotti" for his ruthless, violent ways. Last week, a federal appeals court rejected Menendez's last-ditch effort to remain free on bail while he fights to get his bribery conviction overturned. A three-judge panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his bail motion. Pleading for leniency, Menendez told a judge at his sentencing in January: "I am far from a perfect man. I have made more than my share of mistakes and bad decisions. I've done far more good than bad." Menendez appeared to reference Republican President Donald Trump's claims of a weaponized justice system when speaking to media after that hearing. "This process is political, and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system," Menendez told reporters at the time. At his January sentencing, Menendez's lawyers described how the son of Cuban immigrants emerged from poverty to become "the epitome of the American Dream" — rising from mayor of Union City, New Jersey, to decades in Congress — before his conviction "rendered him a national punchline." "Despite his decades of service, he is now known more widely as Gold Bar Bob," defense lawyer Adam Fee told the judge. Menendez, who once served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, resigned his seat a month after his conviction. He had been in the Senate since 2006. In a 2022 raid of Menendez's home, the FBI uncovered approximately $480,000 in cash and gold bars valued at about $150,000 hidden in clothing, shoes, bags and boxes in various locations. A luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible was also at the house. Prosecutors pointed to payments allegedly made through a sham consulting firm and alleged that Menendez used his influence to help Egypt secure $300 million in U.S. military aid, influence U.S. policy in Egypt and Qatar and prevent criminal probes into his associates, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe. Uribe testified against his co-defendants. Menendez was convicted of counts including bribery, extortion, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt and multiple conspiracy charges.
