Latest news with #ToddBlanche
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Top DOJ official to meet today with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell inside a Florida federal prison
A senior Justice Department official plans to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend and accomplice, on Thursday in Florida, where she is serving time for her role in a scheme to abuse girls, according to a report. As questions swirled around the handling of the so-called Epstein files, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Tuesday he planned to meet with Maxwell in the 'coming days.' That meeting is expected to happen Thursday, ABC News reported. Earlier this week, Maxwell's attorneys confirmed their client was 'in discussions' with the government. The 63-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in 2021 for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple girls with Epstein and is serving time at the Florida Correctional Institution-Tallahassee. Her attorneys have taken an appeal of her conviction to the Supreme Court. The development comes amid an uproar around the Epstein files after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump was told in May that his name appeared in the files 'multiple times.' The president filed a $10 billion defamation suit against the paper and its owners after it published a report claiming that Trump gave Epstein a bawdy birthday card in 2003; he has vehemently denied the claims. 'This is another fake news story, just like the previous story by The Wall Street Journal,' White House communications director Steven Cheung told the paper about the claims Trump was named. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Trump was told that he is in the files. Being mentioned is not an indication of wrongdoing and officials say hundreds of names appear. Shortly after Blanche's announcement Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee approved a subpoena for Maxwell. Speaking to reporters at the White House later that day, Trump said that the subpoena for Maxwell "sounds appropriate." Last week, Trump requested Attorney General Pam Bondi release 'any and all pertinent' grand jury transcripts related to the Epstein case. Bondi then asked the judges overseeing the cases of Epstein and Maxwell; two judges have so far denied these requests. Trump's request came as the White House attempted to quell the noise following the DOJ's July 6 memo, which stated that no further disclosures were necessary in the Epstein matter.
CNN
11 minutes ago
- Politics
- CNN
Top DOJ official to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday, two people familiar with the meeting tell CNN, as President Donald Trump continues to face backlash over the Jeffrey Epstein saga. The meeting comes after the Department of Justice said earlier this week it had reached out to Epstein's former associate, with Blanche saying in a statement on Tuesday that 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.' It comes as many of Trump's supporters have demanded the release of more information about the accused sex trafficker alongside growing concerns for transparency among Republicans on Capitol Hill. The House Oversight subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the DOJ for files related to Epstein in a surprise move amounting to a show of defiance by some House Republicans against Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson has attempted to tamp down on efforts to push the release of the so-called Epstein files and shut the door on the possibility of a House vote on releasing information on Epstein before the August recess. The subpoena calls for the Epstein files in the Justice Department's possession to be provided to Congress, but for the names of the victims to be redacted. It also calls for communications between former Biden officials and the Justice Department related to the Epstein matter, in addition to depositions among some major figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey. Last week, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to make public years-old grand jury testimony against Epstein, though a Florida federal judge on Wednesday declined to release additional grand jury documents from the criminal investigation into Epstein. Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in federal prison for carrying out a years-long scheme with Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls. She has continued to appeal her conviction.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump told in May his name appears in Epstein files
Donald Trump was told in May that his name appears multiple times in justice department files related to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to the Wall Street Journal. The American has come under fire for not releasing the documents - breaking a campaign promise - with some questioning his ties to Epstein. Now the newspaper Mr Trump is aware his name is included in the files, along with many other high-profile figures. Being mentioned in the records is not a sign of wrongdoing, and Mr Trump has not been accused of anything. The White House initially described the report as "fake news", but Reuters news agency said an official told them the administration isn't denying Mr Trump's name is there. Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche issued a statement that does not directly address the Wall Street Journal's report. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts," they said. "As part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings." The Journal reports officials told the president the files contained what they felt was unverified hearsay about many people, including Mr Trump. The president was friendly with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, and he appears multiple times on flight logs for his private plane in the 1990s. Mr Trump has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Officials also told Mr Trump the Justice Department didn't plan to release more documents, because they include child pornography and victims' personal information, the Journal added. Last week, Trump began legal action against the Journal, after it alleged he sent a suggestive birthday message to Epstein in 2003. The US president said he was seeking at least $20 billion in damages and said the report regarding the message was "fake". Among those named in the legal action is the Journal's parent company and owner Rupert Justice Department said earlier this month there is no basis to continue probing the Epstein case. This sparked anger among prominent Trump supporters who demanded more information about wealthy and powerful people linked to Epstein. Material had been released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for child sex trafficking and other crimes. During her trial, Epstein's pilot testified Mr Trump flew on Epstein's private jet multiple times - although Mr Trump has denied being on the plane.
New York Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Prosecutor Fired by Trump Officials Says She Is Set to Take Over Office
A veteran New Jersey federal prosecutor who was appointed as the next U.S. attorney by judges in the state said Wednesday that she was ready to take on the role, even though she had been fired by senior Justice Department officials. The prosecutor, Desiree Leigh Grace, made the statement in a LinkedIn post, calling it an honor to have been selected for the role 'on merit' and saying that she was prepared to begin to serve 'in accordance with the law.' Ms. Grace's defiant post extends the standoff between federal officials in New Jersey and Justice Department officials in Washington who on Tuesday reacted to Ms. Grace's appointment by district judges in the state by summarily firing her. The deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, accused the judges of playing politics and said that Ms. Grace had been removed 'pursuant to the president's authority.' Ms. Grace did not mention her firing explicitly, though her post read as something of a farewell to her law enforcement partners, whom she thanked. 'It was an honor to work with you,' she wrote. The tone of her post suggested that she may not expect to occupy the U.S. attorney role for which she said she was prepared. 'I've served under both Republican and Democratic administrations,' she wrote. 'I've been promoted four times in the last five years by both — including four months ago by this administration. Politics never impacted my work at the Department.' Until Tuesday, Ms. Grace served as the top deputy to Alina Habba, the interim U.S. attorney. Ms. Habba, a former personal lawyer to President Trump, had no prosecutorial experience before she was appointed to the role. Ms. Habba's term ends Friday, according to Mr. Blanche. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump was told by Bondi his name appeared multiple times in Epstein files: Report
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche informed President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the government's files on Jeffrey Epstein that the Department of Justice and the FBI reviewed. The officials told Trump of their plan not to release any additional documents, the report says, because the material contained child pornography and the personal information of victims. President Trump, according to the Journal, said he would defer to the Justice Department's decision not to release additional files on Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in 2019. MORE: Florida judge rules Epstein grand jury records will remain sealed According to the report, Trump was also informed that the names of many other high-profile individuals appeared in the documents, which the Journal reported was not evidence of wrongdoing. The Trump administration did not say anything publicly about the decision not to release additional files until July, when it angered many of Trump's supporters by announcing that it would not release any additional files after earlier promising to do so. The DOJ and FBI stated that their review "did not uncover evidence" that could lead to further criminal charges. When asked by ABC News on July 15 what Bondi told Trump about the review -- "specifically, did she tell you at all that your name appeared in the files?" Trump responded: "No, no, she's -- she's given us just a very quick briefing," before making baseless claims that the files were created by some of his political foes. Asked by ABC News following the publication of the Journal article if the president had been told his name is in the files, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung, said, "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about." In a statement, Bondi and Blanche said, "The DOJ and FBI reviewed the Epstein Files and reached the conclusion set out in the July 6 memo. Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts. As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." FBI Director Kash Patel, who prior to joining the new administration called for the release of all Epstein files, said in a statement, "The memo released on July 6th is consistent with the thorough review conducted by the FBI and DOJ. The criminal leakers and Fake News media tries tirelessly to undermine President Trump with smears and lies, and this story is no different." Solve the daily Crossword
