Latest news with #ToddBlanche
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Admits He Can Pardon Ghislaine—Risking MAGA Meltdown
President Donald Trump signaled he could consider pardoning Jeffrey Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell, a move that would enrage his MAGA base. The president said he had not considered pardoning Maxwell, who was convicted for sex-trafficking in connection to Epstein, but he could. The president made the comments when asked directly about the possibility of a pardon on Friday while departing the White House for Scotland. 'It's something I haven't thought about,' Trump said. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about.' Trump's head-turning response came as his former personal attorney, turned Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was meeting with Maxwell this week in Florida. The Justice Department announced he would sit down with the late disgraced financier's accomplice to find out what she knows as it tried to quell the fallout over not releasing the files. After his meeting with Maxwell on Thursday, Blanche revealed that he would be meeting with her for a second time on Friday. He indicated that the Justice Department would share what it has learned at an 'appropriate time.' Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus said that his client answered every questions Blanche asked her and will continue to do so. 'We are grateful that the government is trying to uncover the truth,' Markus said. The British socialite was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 after being found guilty by a jury of child sex-trafficking. She was accused of facilitating and participating in Epstein's abuse of teenage girls for a decade. Maxwell has appealed her case to the Supreme Court as her lawyers have argued her conviction is invalid because of a non-prosecution and plea agreement made with Epstein in 2007. Even as Trump indicated he does have the ability to pardon Maxwell, the Justice Department has urged the country's highest court to reject her appeal. The president was visibly frustrated on Friday with being asked about Epstein as he headed out of town, but members of his own MAGA base have been demanding answers. Trump insisted he had nothing to do with Epstein and began scapegoating others, despite a series of damaging recent reports on Trump's relationship with the convicted sex offender before he ran for office. 'You should focus on Bill Clinton, you should focus on… the former president of Harvard,' the president said. 'You should focus on some of the hedge fund guys - I'll give you a list.' 'These guys lived with Jeffrey Epstein. I sure as hell didn't,' Trump added.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Could Strike ‘Hidden Pardon' Deal With Ghislaine Maxwell: Bondi Aide
Donald Trump could be plotting a 'hidden pardon' deal with Ghislaine Maxwell to clear his name during the administration's Jeffrey Epstein crisis, according to a former Pam Bondi aide. Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein's sex trafficking of minors, was interviewed on Thursday by Justice Department officials, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Dave Aronberg, a former state attorney for Palm Beach County who was once Bondi's drug czar when she was Florida's attorney general, said on CNN that Blanche's role in the interview was 'extremely extraordinary.' 'It's as if the number two executive at CNN was conducting this interview with me instead of you,' he told host Brianna Keilar. 'Like, what? It never happens. Also, he's not going to be knowledgeable about this case like the line prosecutors who actually handled her case.' Aronberg suggested that the interview could be part of a scheme by the Trump administration to 'protect the president' as he faces a surge of concerns about his relationship to Epstein. He hypothesized that there could be 'a deal with Ghislaine Maxwell that she would get some immunity now and maybe a hidden pardon in the future: some sort of implication that she would be pardoned in the future if she comes out and says that the president was... not involved in any criminal activity.' Aronberg also thought it was telling that Blanche, a former personal attorney for Trump, was the one handling the situation. 'Trump doesn't want to be anywhere near this smoke,' he said. 'That's why he's sending his trusted former defense lawyer, the number two person of the Department of Justice, to go see Ghislaine Maxwell.' While Aronberg acknowledged that there's no evidence that Trump is implicated in any of Epstein's crimes, he pointed to reports this week that Bondi had informed Trump that his name appears in the Epstein files. The Justice Department and the White House did not immediately return a requests for comment. Trump has faced outcry, especially from his supporters, after an FBI and DOJ memo dismissed conspiracy theories that the files contain a so-called 'client list' or any evidence that Epstein was murdered. Although Trump has tried to downplay his relationship with Epstein, he was a friend to the financier until a falling out in 2004 and has been photographed alongside Epstein and Maxwell. In 2024, the Daily Beast exclusively published audio tapes recorded in 2017 in which Epstein said that he was once Trump's 'closest friend.' Last week, Trump was rocked by a Wall Street Journal report that revealed he gave Epstein a drawing of a naked woman and a birthday note.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ghislaine Maxwell answered 'every single question' during secret meeting with Trump's DOJ amid Epstein 'cover-up' claims
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell answered 'every single question' asked of her by Trump's Justice Department during a closed-door meeting on Thursday, her attorney said. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche flew down to Florida to sit-down in person with the convicted child sex trafficking offender as the MAGA base demands answers on her knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes amid claims of a 'cover-up.' Maxwell's attorney David Markus revealed that she answered every question asked of her during the marathon interview that lasted all day. Maxwell took the 'full day and asked a lot of questions,' he said. 'Miss Maxwell answered every single question. She never stopped. She never invoked a privilege. She never declined to answer. She answered all the questions truthfully, honestly and to the best of her ability.' Blanche arrived at the federal courthouse around 9:00 a.m., and Maxwell's attorneys were also seen entering the building in Tallahassee. Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year sentence at a low-security prison in Tallahassee and is the only person serving time behind bars for Jeffrey Epstein 's child sex crimes. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that Blanche had requested an interview with Maxwell to ask Epstein's longtime girlfriend: 'What do you know?' Ghislaine Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the child sex trafficking crimes and is held at the low-security Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida Blanche, Bondi's No. 2 at the Justice Department, confirmed Tuesday the sit-down would take place 'in coming days.' It comes as Trump's DOJ remains embroiled in controversy for failing to put out the full Epstein-related files. MAGA supporters are demanding that Trump do more to get to the bottom of the Epstein files after the president campaigned on making information related to the convicted pedophile public. It's unclear what Maxwell can reveal that isn't already public and the closed-door meeting is fueling skepticism over the handling of the Epstein files review. Maxwell is also on the books to testify before Congress on August 11. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) said the meeting is a way for the administration to 'secure a cover-up.' The Connecticut senator said that Blanche is conducting a 'secret meeting' in order to strike a 'secret deal giving her potentially a pardon for providing information favorable to Trump.' Maxwell has already made clear her intent to get her prison sentence absolved. Her lawyers asked the Supreme Court to take up her case, arguing the socialite should have never been charged because of a plea deal Epstein struck in 2008. 'President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence,' Blanche said in a statement posted to X by Bondi. '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.' Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus told CNN the team is in discussions to have her tell her side of the story. 'I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully,' Markus said. 'We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.' Just last week, the DOJ opposed Maxwell's request to have the Supreme Court review her case, with her lawyers claiming she should have never been charged because of a 2008 plea deal the courts struck with Epstein. Trump tried desperately to get his base to abandon criticism of Bondi and the FBI after a memo earlier this month concluded the review found no foul play in Epstein's death. MAGA supporters were particularly enraged that no new material was produced in the Epstein files review and that Trump's DOJ found no existence of a so-called 'client list' of high profile co-conspirators. The president even started calling the whole ordeal the 'Epstein hoax' and claimed Democrats were to blame for stoking conspiracies in an effort to divide Republicans. When that didn't work, Trump directed Bondi last week to request the Southern District of New York to unseal grand jury testimony in the Epstein court case. 'I've contacted her counsel,' Blanche said. 'I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits.' Some Trump loyalists still aren't buying the latest attempt to recover from the failure that this month has caused a rift in MAGA world. Leading the opposition to Bondi's investigation has been conservative personality Laura Loomer, who has taken to calling the AG 'Blondi.' She said on Tuesday that the action seems like a way to 'cope' with the growing uprising within the Republican Party. 'Why wasn't this 'interview' with Ghislaine Maxwell done on day 1?' Loomer questioned on X. 'Shouldn't they have already done this?' she continued. 'Maybe there is a mix up in communication. But I just can't help but wonder whether or not this has already happened. And if not, why?' Attorney and political commentator Ron Filipkowski said if Maxwell's statements implicate Trump, nothing will come out – but that if it exonerates the president, her sentence will be reduced. 'The truth is in the files, not from Maxwell,' Filipkowski wrote. Blanche still insists that the July 6 joint memo from the DOJ and FBI regarding the Epstein files review 'remains accurate.' He says that the department's recent review did not uncover any new evidence that could bring charges against others potentially involved in the crimes. Blanche's statement on Tuesday morning acknowledges that no administration or DOJ has ever asked Maxwell to speak with them about the Epstein case. 'That changes now,' he insisted.
CNN
15 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Epstein and Maxwell grand jury transcripts include testimony from only two witnesses, Justice Department says
Grand jury transcripts the Justice Department is asking to unseal from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell include testimony from only two witnesses, both law enforcement officials, according to a Justice Department memo submitted late Tuesday. The admission raises further questions about whether the Trump administration's long-shot bid to unseal the confidential material will be enough to satisfy the demand for more transparency surrounding the Epstein investigation. Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a motion to unseal transcripts from grand juries used to investigate Epstein in New York and Florida. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche personally filed the unusual request, citing 'the public interest in the investigative work conducted by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into Epstein…' The move came amid fierce backlash over the department's backtracking on a promise to release additional Epstein materials. The Florida request was swiftly denied, but Judge Richard Berman in New York asked for more specific details about why this information should be disclosed before ruling. Late Tuesday, the DOJ submitted its response to the court. 'Here the passage of time has not dulled the public's interest in these cases,' Jay Clayton, the interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote. The memo disclosed previously unknown information about the witnesses who were used in the grand jury. 'Here, there was one witness – an FBI agent — during the Epstein grand jury proceedings. There were two witnesses – the same FBI agent from the Epstein grand jury proceedings and a detective with the NYPD who was a Task Force Officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force – during the Maxwell grand jury proceedings,' the memo stated. DOJ reiterated that victims testified at trial, but in the grand jury their testimony was read in by these investigators. 'Many of the victims whose accounts relating to Epstein and Maxwell that were the subject of grand jury testimony testified at trial consistent with the accounts described by an FBI agent and the detective from the New York City Police Department ('NYPD') in the grand jury and some have also made public those factual accounts during civil litigation,' DOJ wrote. Epstein's 2019 death while awaiting trial has been ruled a suicide. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She met with Blanche last week to answer additional questions about the investigation, but it is unclear what she told the government or how it could impact her case. Berman has given victims and Epstein's representative until August 5 to weigh in on the DOJ's request. He says he will decide 'expeditiously.'
CNN
15 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Epstein and Maxwell grand jury transcripts include testimony from only two witnesses, Justice Department says
Grand jury transcripts the Justice Department is asking to unseal from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell include testimony from only two witnesses, both law enforcement officials, according to a Justice Department memo submitted late Tuesday. The admission raises further questions about whether the Trump administration's long-shot bid to unseal the confidential material will be enough to satisfy the demand for more transparency surrounding the Epstein investigation. Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a motion to unseal transcripts from grand juries used to investigate Epstein in New York and Florida. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche personally filed the unusual request, citing 'the public interest in the investigative work conducted by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into Epstein…' The move came amid fierce backlash over the department's backtracking on a promise to release additional Epstein materials. The Florida request was swiftly denied, but Judge Richard Berman in New York asked for more specific details about why this information should be disclosed before ruling. Late Tuesday, the DOJ submitted its response to the court. 'Here the passage of time has not dulled the public's interest in these cases,' Jay Clayton, the interim US attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote. The memo disclosed previously unknown information about the witnesses who were used in the grand jury. 'Here, there was one witness – an FBI agent — during the Epstein grand jury proceedings. There were two witnesses – the same FBI agent from the Epstein grand jury proceedings and a detective with the NYPD who was a Task Force Officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force – during the Maxwell grand jury proceedings,' the memo stated. DOJ reiterated that victims testified at trial, but in the grand jury their testimony was read in by these investigators. 'Many of the victims whose accounts relating to Epstein and Maxwell that were the subject of grand jury testimony testified at trial consistent with the accounts described by an FBI agent and the detective from the New York City Police Department ('NYPD') in the grand jury and some have also made public those factual accounts during civil litigation,' DOJ wrote. Epstein's 2019 death while awaiting trial has been ruled a suicide. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. She met with Blanche last week to answer additional questions about the investigation, but it is unclear what she told the government or how it could impact her case. Berman has given victims and Epstein's representative until August 5 to weigh in on the DOJ's request. He says he will decide 'expeditiously.'
