Latest news with #VirginiaGiuffre
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Giuffre family asks Trump not to pardon Maxwell
The family of one of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's victims has asked US President Donald Trump not to consider pardoning the late financier's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. "Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life," said the family of the late Virginia Giuffre. Their statement also questioned Trump's recent remark that Epstein "stole people that worked for me", including Giuffre, who was once an employee at the president's Florida golf club, has recently faced questions over his historical friendship with Epstein, including whether he might pardon Maxwell. He has never been accused of any criminal wrongdoing in the matter. The BBC has contacted the White House for comment on the Giuffre family a statement, family members Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson said they were still "reeling" from Giuffre's suicide in made his allegation that Epstein had poached his employees during remarks to reporters on board Air Force One on said one of that group had been Giuffre. Giuffre had said in a 2016 court deposition that she began working at Mar-a-Lago in the summer of 2000, when she was their statement, her family members said they "would like to clarify" that their sister was "preyed upon" by Maxwell during her time working for Trump. They said this was in 2000, four years before Trump and Epstein reportedly fell out."It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago," wrote the family. "It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal actions." Giuffre's family also condemned federal prosecutors for recently holding meetings with Maxwell at the Florida jail where she is serving a 20-year sentence. They said Maxwell had already been convicted for lying under oath and "will continue to do so for as long as it affects her position"."A predator who thought only of herself, she destroyed the lives of girls and young women without conscience," Giuffre's family said."Virginia always said that Ghislaine Maxwell was vicious and could often be more cruel than Epstein."They also said Giuffre's ordeal had continued as she helped prosecutors."She endured death threats, threats against the lives of her children and family, financial ruin, and her physical and mental well-being were destroyed," they called on Trump to "never consider giving Ghislaine Maxwell any leniency".The statement ended: "She must remain in prison – anything less would go down in history as being one of the highest travesties of justice." Last week, Trump was asked whether he was considering granting clemency to Maxwell. He said he had "not thought" about is being interviewed by justice department officials as part of an effort by the Trump administration to quell the backlash it has faced over its handling of files relating to former British socialite recently spent two days in talks with the department's second-highest ranking official, Todd Blanche. Maxwell's lawyers have said she is willing to testify to Congress if she is granted immunity from future Trump administration has faced pressure to release files related to Epstein after failing to disclose a rumoured client list of the disgraced 2006, Epstein was indicted in Florida for solicitation of prostitution and later pleaded guilty to the charges. He was arrested in 2019 over federal charges of sex trafficking, and died by suicide in prison before his trial. The White House has said that Trump banned Epstein from his club because he was a "creep". Other reports say they fell out in 2004 over a Palm Beach oceanfront property when Trump ultimately outbid Epstein for the real estate.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Virginia Giuffre's family responds to Trump claim that Epstein 'stole' her from Mar-a-Lago while calling Ghislaine Maxwell a 'monster'
Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre 's family is raising questions about President Donald Trump 's knowledge of his sex crimes after he admitted he knew the financier 'stole' her from his Mar-a-Lago resort. The president claimed on Tuesday that the convicted sex offender took Giuffre when she was just 16 years old and working as a locker room attendant at the spa at his Florida estate. He told the Daily Mail that is why he had a falling out with Epstein. Giuffre's family now says it was 'shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been "stolen" from Mar-a-Lago. 'It makes us ask if he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell 's criminal actions, especially given his statement two years later that his good friend Jeffrey "likes women on the younger side... no doubt about it,' they said in a statement. 'We and the public are asking for answers; survivors demand this.' The family also hit out at Congress for considering to get Maxwell to testify about Epstein's crimes. 'If our sister could speak today, she would be most angered by the fact that the government is listening to a known perjurer. A woman who repeatedly lied under oath and will continue to do so as long as it benefits her position,' the statement read. 'Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life for the extraordinary violence and abuse she put not just our sister Virginia through, but many other survivors, who may number in the thousands. A predator who thought only of herself, she destroyed the lives of girls and young women without conscience...' the family said. Giuffre was one of the most prominent and vocal accusers of Epstein and Maxwell before she took her own life at the age of 41 earlier this year. She has said she was recruited by Maxwell into Epstein's sex ring in 2000 as a teenager working as a locker room attendant at the spa at Mar-a-Lago. Trump seemed to confirm those reports in his remarks aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. 'Everyone knows the people that were taken,' he told reporters. 'People were taken out of the spa hired by him.' 'I didn't know that. And then when I heard about it, I told him, I said, "Listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa. I don't want you taking people," the president continued. 'And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, "Out of here."' Trump officially banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club in 2004. But before that, both Epstein and Maxwell were photographed partying at the Palm Beach social club including with Trump's then-girlfriend Melania. Trump has offered a number of reasons over the years for his falling out with Epstein, who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He previously said he cut off contact with Epstein because he was a 'creep.' Other reports say the two men fell out over an oceanfront Palm Beach property that was being sold out of bankruptcy that each man wanted.
CNN
10 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
The questions surrounding Trump saying Epstein 'stole' Virginia Giuffre
The questions surrounding Trump saying Epstein 'stole' Virginia Giuffre President Donald Trump told reporters in a news conference that Jeffrey Epstein "stole" Virginia Giuffre and other young women who worked at his Mar-a-Lago resort spa. Trump now claims that was the reason he had a falling out with Epstein in the early 2000s. CNN's Erin Burnett breaks down some of the unanswered questions surrounding Trump and Epstein. 04:02 - Source: CNN Automated CNN Shorts 10 videos The questions surrounding Trump saying Epstein 'stole' Virginia Giuffre President Donald Trump told reporters in a news conference that Jeffrey Epstein "stole" Virginia Giuffre and other young women who worked at his Mar-a-Lago resort spa. Trump now claims that was the reason he had a falling out with Epstein in the early 2000s. CNN's Erin Burnett breaks down some of the unanswered questions surrounding Trump and Epstein. 04:02 - Source: CNN Tapper presses Pelosi on Trump's insider trading allegations CNN's Jake Tapper spoke to former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who reacted to President Donald Trump accusing Pelosi and her husband of insider trading, calling the allegation "ridiculous." 01:08 - Source: CNN Johnson says he wants 'everything on Epstein evils' to be released In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants everything possible on the Epstein files to be released, something he says the president wants as well. 01:55 - Source: CNN Democrats cite arcane law in letter demanding Epstein files CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox explains how a law from the 1920s could help Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee access to the Epstein files. 01:31 - Source: CNN Jury finds James Craig guilty of first-degree murder A jury has found Colorado dentist James Craig guilty of all charges in the March 2023 death of his wife Angela, including murder in the first degree. He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. 02:38 - Source: CNN Save the Children in Gaza says 'situation is catastrophic' Save the Children's Humanitarian Director Rachael Cummings, who is working in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour 'there is no law and order' in Gaza and that a "sustained siege of supplies' has led to the current increased rates of malnutrition in the population. 02:28 - Source: CNN Powell says Trump's visit was 'good' despite awkward clash on cam Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was asked about continued pressure from President Trump to lower interest rates after the president made a rare visit to the Fed to survey its $2.5 billion renovation. 00:35 - Source: CNN Fed holds interest rates steady The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting as it remains under intense pressure from President Donald Trump and his allies to lower borrowing costs. 01:18 - Source: CNN How an earthquake causes a tsunami A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia's east coast is tied for the sixth strongest ever recorded. Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific. CNN Meteorologist Chris Warren explains how an earthquake turns into a tsunami. 01:16 - Source: CNN Watch F-18 fighter jet perform evasive maneuvers to avoid crashing into audience at airshow A video verified by Reuters shows the moment when a Spanish F-18 fighter jet was forced to perform "evasive maneuvers" to avoid crashing into attendees during the Gijón Air Festival. The military praised the pilot's actions which ensured the safety of the attendees. 00:35 - Source: CNN
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Jeffrey Epstein 'stole' Virginia Giuffre, other employees from Mar-a-Lago spa: Trump
President Donald Trump doubled down on his explanation for kicking Jeffrey Epstein out of his Florida home after revealing the disgraced financier "did something that was inappropriate" years before his arrest. Speaking to reporters while onboard Air Force 1 in Scotland on Tuesday, the president further elaborated on his revelation that Epstein "stole" workers employed at his Mar-a-Lago estate years ago, ultimately leading to the pair's eventual fallout. "He took people," Trump said. "I said, 'Don't do that anymore,' you know, they work for me. And he took beyond that. He took some others. And once he did that, that was the end of him." Epstein was then banned from Mar-a-Lago, Trump said. The two men reportedly stopped speaking in 2004 after Trump outbid Epstein in a bankruptcy auction for a coastal Florida estate, according to The Palm Beach Post. Epstein was arrested by the Palm Beach Police Department two years later after a grand jury indicted him on a single charge of soliciting prostitution. Trump explained Epstein poached several young women employed at his estate's spa, including high-profile Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre. "I think she worked at the spa," Trump told reporters. "He stole her, and by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever." The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Giuffre, who died by suicide in March, was a key figure in advocating for Epstein's arrest. She had said she was recruited to be Epstein's masseuse by Ghislaine Maxwell while she was employed at Mar-a-Lago. While Giuffre was not involved in Epstein's criminal prosecutions, she remained central to the case. Trump's statements came one day after he told reporters he "never had the privilege of going to [Epstein's] island." "I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island," Trump said during a Monday meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. "In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn't want to go to his island." Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and convicted accomplice, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in procuring young girls for the disgraced financier. Last week, Maxwell was subpoenaed to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee regarding the scope of Epstein's crimes. Maxwell's legal team has since said she will only speak if granted immunity, which the panel rejected. "The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell's attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony," a spokesperson said. Just days later, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche traveled to Florida to meet with Maxwell at a federal courthouse, where she answered questions regarding Epstein, according to her attorney. Additionally, Maxwell's legal team filed a brief on Monday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of her 2021 conviction. Her attorneys claim she should have been included in a 2007 non-prosecution deal Epstein made with authorities that spared him from facing federal charges in Florida. The Department of Justice has asserted that the agreement did not encompass Maxwell. The Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss taking up Maxwell's appeal on Sept. 29. Maxwell's legal team has also said she would "openly and honestly, in public," if granted a pardon by Trump — a move the president acknowledged is within his rights to consider but added that he has not been asked to do so yet. "She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning," Maxwell's lawyers previously said.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The president snapped at CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House twice.
President Donald Trump snapped at CNN senior White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday after she pressed him about a new claim he made on Air Force One. On the flight back from his Scotland sojourn, Trump claimed that Virginia Giuffre—one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims—was among the women the disgraced financier had 'stolen' from the spa at Mar‑a‑Lago. After landing in Washington, Collins asked the president whether the alleged theft 'raised alarm bells' for him at the time.
