Latest news with #JeffreyEpstein
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Will Trump's former high-society friend Ghislaine Maxwell be the next infamous inmate to be pardoned?
She was famously photographed with Donald Trump at exclusive parties in Manhattan and Mar-a-Lago in her heyday, but can Ghislaine Maxwell 's one-time friend-turned-president now serve as her key to freedom? With TV reality couple Todd and Julie Chrisley's surprise early release this week, speculation is now swirling over whether Trump could pardon another infamous inmate from his high-society orbit next, can reveal. Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in federal prison for being notorious sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein 's enabler. can disclose one ultra-close source to the Maxwell family has not dismissed the hope of a Trump intervention out of hand – following his sensational pardoning of the Chrisleys, who were convicted of federal bank fraud and tax evasion charges in 2022. Maxwell's freedom-campaigning brothers Ian and Kevin Maxwell haven't formally petitioned the president for the ultimate clemency, but her family isn't ruling out the possibility, a close source told exclusively. 'It's not a bad idea to ask President Trump for a pardon. He knew her. He's probably got views about whether she's innocent or guilty,' a member of the Maxwell family's inner circle said. The 'who's next' speculation is running hot following the release of husband-and-wife TV duo Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were jailed for a $30million bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022. They were sprung from prison this week after MAGA-supporter daughter Savannah's passionate Fox TV interview with the president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump. President Trump told 27-year-old Savannah her parents 'don't look like terrorists' and privately conveyed he thought they'd been treated unfairly. In the case of Maxwell – inmate number 02879-509 at the federal women's prison in Tallahassee, Florida – the issue is wrought with more complexity. The British socialite former pal of Prince Andrew lost her appeal in 2024 against five counts related to sex trafficking for helping multi-millionaire financier Epstein abuse underage girls around the world. But in April this year her legal team filed a petition to the US Supreme Court, claiming she was covered by a 2007 non-prosecution agreement for any Epstein co-conspirator. Maxwell, 63, was sentenced in June 2022 after a lengthy New York trial. She was immediately sent to her Florida prison, where has exclusively photographed her pounding around the facility's running track. Brothers Ian, 69, and Kevin, 66, supported her in court and have campaigned tirelessly for her release since her 2021 conviction, proclaiming her innocence and alleging she did not receive a fair hearing. Yet overshadowing every twist and turn in Maxwell's bid for freedom is one word: Epstein. The notorious pedophile who killed himself in a New York jail in 2019 rather than face court for his sickening crimes. And adding to the complexity is the historic Trump connection – to both of them. The disgraced British socialite was previously revealed to have been moved to the facility's 'honor dorm', reserved for the best behaved inmates. Pictured above is one of the single level housing units in the female prison at FCI The Commander in Chief innocently rubbed shoulders with Epstein on the social circuit in Palm Beach and Manhattan in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was photographed with him and one video from 1992 shows them sharing a joke as women danced at the President's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. President Trump told New York magazine in 2002: 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' However after Epstein's dramatic arrest at Teterboro Airport, New Jersey following a trip to Paris, Trump said at the White House: 'People in Palm Beach knew him, he was a fixture in Palm Beach. 'I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan.' He emphasized he had no idea of Epstein's crimes before his arrest. President Trump and Maxwell were also photographed together as they socialized at events. First Lady Melania appears in at least three shots with them before her 2005 marriage. The most bizarre was taken at supermodel Heidi Klum's 'hookers and pimps' themed Halloween party in October 2000. It shows President Trump with his arms around a smiling Melania and Maxwell, who is dressed in a bleach blonde wig, leopard print jacket and gold leather pants. Prince Andrew was also at the event. Earlier that year, blue-suited Trump, Melania, casually-dressed Epstein and Maxwell – sporting a bare midriff and back in a blue top with gold tassels – posed for the camera at a Mar-a-Lago event. And in September 2000, Melania, Trump and Maxwell were snapped together at Anand Jon's fashion show in New York City. Two years later the current President and First Lady were photographed with Maxwell and British supermodel Naomi Campbell at the opening of the Dolce & Gabbana fashion house. Maxwell vanished after Epstein was arrested but was eventually arrested in a dramatic FBI raid on her secluded hideaway in a deeply rural part of New Hampshire. Following the swoop, President Trump said of her: 'I met her numerous times over the years, especially since I live in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.' Maxwell was a fixture at Epstein's notorious private island of Little St. James in the US Virgin Islands, where he helicoptered in under-age girls to sexually abuse in a years-long reign of vile crimes. The Chrisley Knows Best stars were found guilty of defrauding banks out of $30million in 2022; seen in 2017 Wearing a hot pink MAGA hat, Savannah told TMZ that she is 'so grateful that I'm going to leave here with my dad' after an 'insane' two years of her trying to get him and Julie freed She was also a regular on his private Boeing 727 jet, dubbed the Lolita Express, which carried Andrew and former President Bill Clinton among a host of other names, according to flight logs. Crucially she acted as a 'madame' for Epstein, recruiting vulnerable young girls from the West Palm Beach area to give Epstein 'massages' at his $20million mansion in ritzy Palm Beach. There, he would abuse them. One was tragic Virginia Giuffre, who was working as a locker room attendant at Mar-a-Lago when she said Maxwell approached her in the mid 2000s. She said it led to years of harrowing abuse where she claimed she was 'passed around like a platter of fruit' to Epstein's powerful associates. Giuffre, known as Roberts at the time, alleged one was Prince Andrew – famously photographed with his arm around her in Maxwell's London home with the socialite in the background. The royal has consistently denied her accusations, although did pay her a reported payout of up to $16million in 2022. Despite attempts to build a new life in Australia, mother-of-three Giuffre's marriage collapsed and the 41-year-old killed herself at her home on May 1 this year. Maxwell's time behind bars has had moments of trauma, despite the prison being designated a low security facility for women. She's been branded the ultimate 'prison Karen' for filing more than 400 complaints, including lackluster vegan menu options and 'unfair treatment'. The disgraced socialite also demanded authorities give her immediate access to black hair dye. And she also even bagged plush hypoallergenic bedding after whining that standard prison pillows were triggering her allergies. Her gripes in the past have targeted everyone from inmates and guards to a 'rude' laundry woman. 'Max is the prison Karen,' an insider told in 2023. 'She can file a grievance over anything. 'She complains about the food, the bedding, when they cancel temple because of bad weather or are late setting up her legal calls. 'The latest battle is over hair dye. Maxwell has gray showing through and she's filed a grievance because they don't sell it anymore. Maxwell's beefs with authorities began when she first landed at the fearsome Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, while awaiting trial. Her attorneys accused jail authorities of breaching her rights by shining a torch in her cell every 15 minutes, subjecting her to invasive searches and filming her at all hours. When she got to Tallahassee after her conviction 'she immediately wrote Brooklyn up for taking too long to ship her belongings,' said the prison source. 'Then when her shoes arrived, she refused to hand her temporary slip-ons back to the laundry lady. 'That caused a big argument and Max complained that she felt threatened and refused to go back to the laundry unaccompanied. 'That's her in a nutshell. Every aspect of prison life offers an opportunity for her to play the victim. She creates constant drama for staff and inmates.'
Forbes
2 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Epstein Accuser Sues Federal Government For Allegedly Ignoring Sexual Abuse Claims
One of Jeffrey Epstein's earliest accusers filed a lawsuit against the federal government Thursday, accusing the FBI of refusing to act on her claims since she first reported sexual abuse nearly 30 years ago, as the Trump administration's FBI faces greater scrutiny about the Epstein-related documents it has repeatedly promised to release. Maria Farmer, who first brought sexual abuse claims against Epstein to the FBI in 1996, sued the federal government in Washington, D.C. federal court on Thursday, alleging the FBI 'chose to do absolutely nothing' after she warned the agency about Epstien's alleged sex crimes. According to Farmer's lawsuit, she said she was sexually assaulted by Epstein and his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, while she stayed at Epstein's estate as an 'artist-in-residence' in 1996, and she accused them of stealing nude images of her minor sisters which Farmer had kept and used for her paintings. While reporting her concerns to the FBI, Farmer said the agency hung up on her and failed to follow up or properly investigate, and she accused the agency of violating its Manual for Investigative Operations and Guidelines, which tasks the FBI with investigating violations of federal law. Farmer also alleged she contacted the FBI in 2023 to request the agency investigate why it had ignored her complaints, to which the FBI allegedly responded they had other 'priorit[ies] right now' and would 'further assess' at a later time. Farmer said the FBI's alleged negligence 'allowed Epstein to continue to sex traffic and sexually exploit girls and young women for years' and that 'countless young women and girls would have been spared' if her concerns were investigated earlier. Farmer's lawsuit calls out Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom she notes has claimed the FBI possesses 'thousands' of videos of child pornography from Epstein, stating her claims 'could have been corroborated with minimal investigatory effort.' Farmer is an artist and painter who met Epstein and Maxwell in the mid-1990s when she was in her mid-20s, who purchased some of her work and later hired her as an art scout for his collection. Farmer said Epstein encouraged her to live in his New Albany, Ohio, home during the summer of 1996 as an 'artist-in-residence,' where Farmer said he and Maxwell sexually assaulted her in late July or early August. She accused Epstein and Maxwell of attempting to silence her by buying her off and warning 'bad things would happen to her' if she spoke up, according to Farmer's lawsuit. In 2019, Farmer filed an affidavit in New York federal court as part of another Epstein-related lawsuit accusing Epstein and Maxwell of sexual assault. Farmer also blamed Victoria's Secret billionaire Les Wexner, a close Epstein associate who owned the property Epstein's home was on. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have repeatedly promised for months to release documents relating to Epstein, though they have not provided a timeline, provoking criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. The Justice Department released what it called the 'first phase' of documents in a flashy reveal with right-wing influencers in February, though most of these documents were already leaked or publicly available. In March, Bondi said she had received a 'truckload' of documents from the FBI without offering a timeline for their release. Patel said in an interview Wednesday the FBI is 'diligently' working on releasing Epstein documents, stating it 'takes time to go through years of investigations.' Both Patel and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said in interviews this week they have video proving Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019, rebuffing a long-held conspiracy theory that he was killed because of his connections to the political and social elite. While campaigning for the presidency in 2024, President Donald Trump—who was named in Epstein's flight logs from the 1990s but has not been linked to his crimes—said in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridmann he would be 'inclined' to release documents related to Epstein if he won the election. The case mirrors multiple lawsuits that have accused the government of ignoring Epstein accusers' claims. A group of eight Epstein accusers previously sued the federal government in September in D.C. federal court, similarly accusing the FBI of failing to investigate allegations of sexual abuse for decades. The women said they were abused by Epstein and his associates between 2002 and 2017. Twelve Epstein accusers sued the government in New York federal court in February 2024, alleging the FBI 'permitted Jeffrey Epstein to sex traffic and sexually abuse scores of children and young women' by failing to 'investigate the reports, tips, and evidence it had of rampant sexual abuse and sex trafficking by Epstein.' FBI leaders say jail video shows Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide (NBC News) Attorney General Bondi Again Says More Epstein Files Are Coming—But Doesn't Give Timeline (Forbes)
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Rudy Giuliani reveals 'real reason' evidence in Epstein files hasn't been fully released
has revealed what he believes is the 'real reason' the evidence in the Jeffrey Epstein case hasn't yet been fully released. In an interview with political commentator Benny Johnson, the former New York Mayor claimed that crucial evidence in the files is being deliberately withheld due to fears it could have devastating consequences for America's national security and foreign policy. Giuliani suggested that authorities are 'struggling' with releasing the sensitive material because it involves information that could damage relationships with US allies and compromise critical intelligence operations. 'I think it still exists on Epstein... I think we are going to see it,' he said. 'And I think they're struggling with - I really do believe that,' he added. 'I think it probably involves something that could have big implications on our national security, foreign policy, allies.' The 81-year-old former federal prosecutor warned that whatever is being concealed must be 'something very, very sensitive' to warrant such extreme secrecy. He also made claims about how Jeffrey Epstein could have been killed while in federal custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. In an interview with political commentator Benny Johnson, the former New York Mayor claimed that crucial evidence in the files still exist but is being deliberately withheld due to fears it could have devastating consequences for America's national security and foreign policy When Johnson asked directly how someone could be murdered in such a high-security facility, Giuliani laid out how he would do it. 'I think the easiest way to do it is to make sure you're going to use something that doesn't show up in the blood, end up sedating him and then hanging him,' he said. 'You could hang them easily. You can hang them anyplace - with the help of one or two people.' He also emphasized the disputes among medical examiners about whether Epstein actually died by suicide. 'There's even dispute by the outside medical examiner as to whether he was actually hanged,' Giuliani said. Giuliani argued that authorities should be more transparent about the case overall. 'There are more questions than there are answers,' he said. 'There shouldn't be that way.' 'There should be more answers and questions and and with the two of them saying that, I assume there are answers, but we're just not getting them.' His comments come as pressure continues to mount for the full release of documents related to the former financier's vast network of powerful connections, following his controversial death in a Manhattan federal jail in 2019. Last week, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stunned MAGA conspiracy theorists as he gave his verdict on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 death. Bongino and his superior, FBI Director Kash Patel, sat down with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo to deny claims that Epstein was somehow killed inside New York City's infamous Metropolitan Correctional Center. On the program, Bartiromo asked Patel about the ongoing skepticism surrounding Epstein's death. You said Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide,' she said. 'People don't believe it.' Patel then said that everyone has a 'right to their opinion.' 'But as someone who has worked as a public defender, as a prosecutor, who's been in that prison system, who has been at the Metropolitan Detention Center, who's been in segregated housing - You know a suicide when you see one,' he replied. 'He killed himself... I've seen the whole file. He killed himself,' the deputy director insisted. He later reiterated his bombshell assertion on X for anyone who had not seen the interview. 'I have reviewed the case. Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. There's no evidence in the case file suggesting otherwise,' Bongino wrote. 'I'm not asking you to believe me or not, I'm telling you what exists and what doesn't.' 'If new evidence surfaces, I'm happy to re-evaluate,' he vowed. The assertion marked a U-turn for Bongino, who has previously spread his own conspiracy theories about Epstein's untimely passing.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
British Ambassador to US rejects Epstein question - then admits 'regret'
Britain's Ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson yesterday admitted he wishes he'd "never met" Jeffrey Epstein. The Labour peer firstly rejected a question from a journalist about his relationship with the disgraced paedophile Epstein. But he then admitted he had "regret" over ever meeting the American financier, who died in 2019 while waiting for his trial on sex trafficking charges. Asked whether he stayed at Epstein's apartment in New Yew York June 2009, Lord Mandelson told Sky News on Tuesday: "I'm not answering any questions about him." Pressed about him being in jail at the time, he added: "My knowledge of him is something that I regret. I wish I'd never met him in the first place." Asked why he had an association with him, while he was in jail, Lord Mandelson said: "Why did many people meet him? He was a prolific networker and I wish I'd never met him in the first place." READ MORE: Peter Mandelson launches into sweary tirade at journalist over Jeffrey Epstein question Lord Mandelson firstly said: 'I'm not answering any questions about him' (Image: Sky News) In February, Lord Mandelson became frustrated during an interview marking his new role as Britain's Ambassador to the US. The Labour peer hit out at interest in his relationship with Epstein an "obsession" and launched into a sweary tirade at a journalist. Lord Mandelson has not been accused of wrongdoing by an Epstein victim. But a 2019 JPMorgan internal report filed in a New York court in 2023 described multiple meetings between the two men, stating: "Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government." Photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein (Image: AP) And emails which surfaced earlier this year showed he was still in touch with the disgraced financier as recently as 2012. "I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell," he told the Financial Times (FT). "I regret even more the hurt he caused to many young women." He went on: "I'm not going to go into this. It's an FT obsession and frankly you can all f*** off. OK?" Lord Mandelson, a key figure in Tony Blair's New Labour Government, was one of Keir Starmer's key advisors in the build-up to the General Election. The former Business Secretary, who held multiple positions under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, was appointed Ambassador after being considered a trusted pair of hands to deal with Donald Trump. BLUESKY: Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. POLITICS WHATSAPP: Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. PODCAST: And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. Victims of paedophile Epstein reacted with revulsion after Keir Starmer appointed Lord Mandelson UK ambassador to the States. One of those sexually assaulted by Epstein told the Mirror in December: "As a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's depravity, I'm horrified by Peter Mandelson's appointment. "This isn't just a poor choice. It's an insult to every survivor who fought to expose Epstein's web of power and exploitation. What's even more shocking is your prime minister's clear support of the decision." READ MORE: Join our Mirror politics WhatsApp group to get the latest updates from Westminster
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
UK ambassador Peter Mandelson says he wishes he never met Jeffrey Epstein
The UK's ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, has said he 'regrets' his relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Lord Mandelson has repeatedly been quizzed on his friendship with the paedophile and convicted sex trafficker. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors. An internal JPMorgan report from 2019, filed to a New York court in 2023, said that 'Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government', according to the Financial Times. The dossier laid bare the Labour grandee's ties to the late paedophile – who was close enough to the former Labour cabinet minister to call him 'Petie'. It is not clear when Mandelson was introduced to Epstein, though a 2002 New York Magazine said he had a dinner party at Epstein's Manhattan home. A photo of Mandelson and Epstein celebrating a birthday at Epstein's Paris home in 2007 emerged in 2022. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mandelson. Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, the UK ambassador to the US was asked if he stayed in one of Epstein's properties while he was in jail. He replied: "I'm not answering any questions about him. My knowledge of him is something I regret, I wish I'd never met him in the first place." He was then pressed on if he had a relationship with Epstein while he was in jail. Lord Mandelson replied: "Why did many people meet him? He was a prolific networker. And I wish I'd never met him in the first place." Earlier this year, the Labour grandee told the Financial Times: 'I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell. I regret even more the hurt he caused to many young women.' He went on to add: 'I'm not going to go into this. It's an FT obsession and frankly you can all f*** off. OK?' Lord Mandelson was appointed UK ambassador to the United States in December 2024. He had described Donald Trump as a 'danger to the world' in 2019. Following his appointment as ambassador, he said his comments were 'ill-judged and wrong'.
