Latest news with #sex trafficking
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ghislaine Maxwell breaks silence with bombshell claim after Trump closes Epstein case
Ghislaine Maxwell 's family broke their silence to insist she is innocent and was subjected to 'government misconduct' in an unscrupulous effort to blame someone for Jeffrey Epstein 's crimes after he died. President Donald Trump and his Attorney General Pam Bondi ar e facing MAGA mutiny amid claims they botched an investigation into Epstein's laundry list of crimes. Epstein's right-hand woman is serving 20 years in prison for sex trafficking offenses tied to the billionaire financier's crimes. But Bondi maintains that after years of rampant speculation, there is no evidence Epstein ever held a 'client list' implicating high-profile associates. Maxwell was convicted in 2021, two years after Epstein was found dead in his cell while awaiting trial for child sex offenses. Her family now maintain 'our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial', claiming prosecutors stopped at nothing to convict her due to the public's appetite for her to face justice on Epstein's behalf after his death. According to the family's statement, Maxwell is prepared to 'file a writ of habeas corpus' which would 'allow her to challenge her imprisonment.' This challenge would be 'on the basis of new evidence such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome.' The family argue that Maxwell should have been protected under an agreement Epstein entered with the Department of Justice in 2007, in which they vowed not to prosecute any of his co-conspirators after he 'paid fines, paid "victims" millions of dollars and served 13 months in Prison.' Counsel representing Maxwell, David Oscar Marcus, said: 'I'd be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal. 'He's the ultimate dealmaker - and I'm sure he'd agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it. 'With all the talk about who's being prosecuted and who isn't, it's especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the US government made and broke.' The family said they 'profoundly concur' with Marcus' comments. The controversial deal stated if 'Epstein successfully fulfills all of the terms and conditions of this agreement, the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to' four of Epstein's assistants.' This did not name Maxwell specifically. But the 2007 deal applied only to the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida. Prosecutors found a loophole in which they were able to target Maxwell in New York, which treats such agreements differently to the vast majority of American states. 'Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers are asking the Court to resolve this difference between the Districts,' a filing seen by states. The family wants Maxwell's sentence to be vacated and for her to be referred for resentencing, accusing the court of also 'applying an incorrect guideline range and offense level.' The Maxwell family's comments come at a time of hightened interest in the case after Bondi's memo shut down long-held theories of an Epstein client list. But Maxwell's brother Ian told The Spectator that she has always denied any such list existed, saying his family was not surprised by Bondi's admission. 'My sister has always maintained there was never such a thing. It never existed,' he said. 'If you prick a conspiracy the balloon goes down and people wonder why they've been fooled.' He called out Elon Musk and other high-profile social media influencers for giving 'tremendous currency' to conspiracy theories about the list, ultimately giving it 'a life of its own' that was always going to become a thorn in Trump's side. 'They've reached the end of the road, it's finished, for what it's worth I think the President would be pleased they've concluded that,' he said. MAGA loyalists had long theorized that Epstein did not kill himself in his cell, but this was also rubbished by Bondi's memo, in which she ruled out any foul play. Maxwell (pictured with Prince Andrew and accuser Virginia Giuffre) was convicted in 2021 , two years after Epstein was found dead in his cell while awaiting trial for child sex offense Ian Maxwell said he statement has not changed his sister's opinion. She has long believed he was murdered. 'I think there is more substance to different and opposing views, that he was murdered,' Ian said. 'That is, and remains, my sister's view for what it's worth.' Ian said while 'people seem to think this involves som James Bond figure slipping into the prison' he suggested a separate theory entirely. 'It seems to preclude another way in which that may have happened - him actually paying someone in prison to kill him. Suicide by internal killing.'
The Verge
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Verge
The MAGA backlash over Epstein isn't dying down
On July 12th, the political world experienced an unprecedented phenomenon: President Donald Trump got ratioed on his own social media platform, and it was on a post about Jeffrey Epstein — someone who, according to Trump, 'nobody cares about.' Clearly, his followers on Truth Social disagreed. As of today, this post has 43.2k likes, 13.7k ReTruths, and 48K comments, nearly all of which express fury about the information — or lack thereof — that the Trump administration has provided about the well-connected billionaire, who died in prison shortly after being arrested for alleged sex trafficking of minors. Last week, after months of promises to release more information about the Epstein investigation, the Department of Justice and FBI released a joint memo, stating that there was no list of high-powered 'clients' who joined Epstein in his activities, no evidence that Epstein blackmailed anybody, and that Epstein did actually die by suicide. Even though Trump's Truth Social post was trying to address the attacks on Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was partly responsible for publishing the Epstein memo (and, according to conspiracy theorists, the reason why the supposed client list isn't being made public), his followers didn't care. 'We want the ELITE PEDOS exposed! You promised us that,' one user responded, in a post with 19.6K likes. 'Pam promised us that. Kash [Patel, FBI Director] promised us that. Now it's OUR fault bc we want that promise fulfilled and call Pam out every time she lies? What else has she lied to us about?' The like-to-comment ratio shows how thoroughly the Epstein files have jeopardized the MAGA base's relationship with Trump. Over the past several months, the administration has had mixed success in keeping the populist base in its corner, due to things like Trump's tariffs and the 'big, beautiful bill,' to the point that the possibility of a 'MAGA civil war' keeps emerging in the news cycle. Most times, those brewing fights get extinguished before they go further. But the backlash to the Epstein files is unusually fierce and may not be extinguished as easily, if at all. The source of the conflagration: the world of MAGA influencers, whose audiences implicitly trust them to carry out the 'America First' agenda. Their status and functions vary wildly: media moguls like Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, and Steve Bannon; solo talents like Laura Loomer, Candace Owens, and Nick Fuentes; political organizers like Charlie Kirk; content creators like Cattturd; and hundreds of others who've established lucrative careers by attacking the globalist elite online. They're normally pro-Trump, and many of them now have access to the White House. Some of them even brag about having Trump's cell phone number. But now they won't stop talking about how angry they are about the flimsiness of the Epstein files, which means their followers won't let go of it either. 'The real question is not 'was Jeffrey Epstein a weirdo who was abusing girls?' The real question is why was he doing this, on whose behalf, and where did the money come from,' Carlson said during a keynote speech at a Turning Point USA summit on July 11th. He then insinuated that Epstein was running a blackmail operation on behalf of a foreign government — possibly Israel, though he caveated with 'there's nothing antisemitic about saying that' and that 'every single person in Washington, DC,' suspected that Epstein was a Mossad asset. Bannon agreed with him at the same conference, while Loomer, who once got three members of the National Security Council fired, called for Bondi to be fired, accusing her of 'harming Trump's administration [and] embarrassing all of his staff and advisors.' Even the influencers that wield direct government power are starting to revolt. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene demanded that the administration reveal the truth about Epstein 'and the rich powerful elites in his circle.' And last week, several mainstream outlets reported that Dan Bongino, a right-wing podcaster who was appointed to serve as deputy director of the FBI, had threatened to resign unless Bondi was fired. According to Axios, Bongino was so upset about the rollout of the Epstein evidence — including a video taken of Epstein's cell phone on the day of his death, which had a full minute missing from it, fueling even more conspiracy theories — that he screamed at her in front of Trump and his senior advisors, and then took a day off from work. Trump's 10-year relationship with the MAGA base has been an endless cycle of breaking and making up: Trump does something that infuriates the base, they revolt, Trump smooths things over, and the base goes back to loving the president. In every case, he's always assisted by a network of online MAGA influencers who are effectively his proxies — enforcing message discipline when interacting with their audiences, amplifying his talking points, defending him from his haters, and making sure the base sticks with him no matter what. But the strength of an influencer, especially a MAGA influencer, is that they don't have to rely on elite-controlled media — cable and broadcast news, print journalism, etc. — to build their massive followings. In fact, they could use their internet platforms to hold those powerful elites accountable, touting themselves as 'independent' content creators, which works exceedingly well when they can present themselves as outsiders deliberately shut out of the system and therefore need subscribers to pay a monthly fee to support their mission. Unfortunately, they now have unprecedented access to the president, which makes them insiders with power — and their followers sure would love for them to use it to get to the bottom of things. It doesn't help that there's no 'deep state' to hide behind this time, and it may be the reason why QAnon — another powerful conspiracy theory that involved pedophile elites in Washington — hasn't revived itself. Trump could easily attack the career agents at the FBI and DOJ for investigating him during his first term, but upon his reelection, he purged those agencies and immediately chose MAGA influencer loyalists to run them. (Prior to becoming FBI director, Patel had a podcast, wrote a children's book about 'King Donald,' and opened his own merch store.) The Epstein files have scrambled MAGA influencers, who now have to decide what is more important to them: access and loyalty to Trump or maintaining their brand It's no wonder why the Epstein files have scrambled MAGA influencers, who now have to decide what is more important to them: access and loyalty to Trump or maintaining their brand. If they want to stay loyal to their followers and their brand reputation, they should be trying to get to the truth of Epstein's death. But if they were trying to do that — or at least, convincing their insatiable audience that they were working on it — it would jeopardize their relationship with the Trump administration, or worse, Trump himself. The cullings are already underway, if Alex Jones is to be believed. On July 13th, he alleged that Trumpworld surrogates had started reaching out to 'talk show hosts and journalists and influencers,' threatening to cut off their access if they kept going on about Epstein. 'You'll never be invited to a Trump event again. You'll never be invited to the White House. You'll never be any other stuff. You're not getting any conservative sponsorship, no campaign contribution, ads running next cycle if you do this. That's been going on,' Jones claimed. 'That, A, is not very moral, that's how the Democrats try to censor and control, and then B, it's gonna create a mega-Streisand effect, as I said seven, eight days ago. And that is exactly what all of this has done.' A few of the influencers, however, are circling the wagons again. 'Honestly, I'm done talking about Epstein for the time being. I'm going to trust my friends in the administration. I'm going to trust my friends in the government to do what needs to be done,' Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk said on his podcast yesterday, reiterating that he would support whatever the Trump administration concluded on the matter. Kirk, a key player in Trump's political machine, also distanced himself from Carlson's Epstein conspiracies, which were made at his youth group's conference. 'I think that there was plenty of, let's say, speeches that were directed towards this topic this last weekend. So we don't need to spend our valuable time on this program relitigating it,' Kirk said. Around that time, other influencers began attempting to deflect the Epstein flack Around that time, other influencers began attempting to deflect the Epstein flack: promising that the government was about to start a real investigation soon (Benny Johnson), attacking Carlson as 'not trustworthy' and 'obsessed [with] making everything about Jews' (Loomer), suggesting that maybe 'demons' were at work and not the government (Mike Cernovich), or hyping up a new discovery about Lee Harvey Oswald and the CIA (Rep. Anna Paulina Luna). But a growing faction of influencers are going the other way with Carlson, Greene, and Jones: Candace Owens, who's attacking the former Israeli prime minster about the Mossad; Matt Walsh, who wants the 'evildoers [to] be dragged in front of us, weeping and begging for mercy'; white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who accused TPUSA world of 'appeasing' a base that wanted 'authentic opposition to organized Jewish influence'; and Tim Pool, who pointed out the strange new messaging coming out of the White House influencer pool, 'After speaking with my friends in government and also private island equity holdings I have decided that no one cares about Epstein anyway. I mean, like who? Lol who's Epstein amirite?'
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ghislaine Maxwell refused appeal over sex trafficking
The Trump administration has urged the Supreme Court to reject an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and former associate of Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls. Her lawyers had asked the court to review her conviction, arguing she was protected under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement Epstein struck with prosecutors in Florida. 'That contention is incorrect, and petitioner does not show that it would succeed in any court of appeals,' wrote D John Sauer, the US solicitor-general. The move comes amid growing anger from Donald Trump's Maga base, many of whom have accused the administration of suppressing evidence of Epstein's alleged connections to powerful individuals. List 'sitting on my desk' Their frustration intensified after Pam Bondi, the attorney general, announced that the Justice Department had closed its Epstein investigation, claiming there was 'no incriminating client list' or evidence to suggest he had blackmailed high-profile figures. Just months earlier, Ms Bondi had said such a list was 'sitting on my desk'. The backlash has triggered the largest internal rebellion Trump has faced since returning to the White House in January. In response, aides are reportedly considering steps to placate supporters, including removing redactions from Epstein-related files and appointing a special counsel to re-examine the case. Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 of five federal counts relating to her role in Epstein's abuse network. During her six-week trial, four women testified that Maxwell had recruited and groomed them for Epstein at his homes in New York, New Mexico, Florida and the Virgin Islands. Her legal team argued that the original deal Epstein struck in 2008, which protected his co-conspirators, should have also applied to Maxwell. 'A defendant should be able to rely on a promise that the United States will not prosecute again, without being subject to a gotcha in some other jurisdiction that chooses to interpret that plain language promise in some other way,' wrote David Markus, Maxwell's lawyer.
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's secluded hideout hits the market
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's former New Hampshire mansion has been listed for $2.5 million nearly five years to the day after the FBI tracked her to the property ahead of her arrest and conviction on sex trafficking charges, according to a new report. The 156-acre mountaintop property sold for $1.1 million in 2019, according to -- purportedly to a limited liability company with ties to Maxwell. She is currently appealing a 20-year prison sentence in connection with the Epstein case. He died in a federal jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his own trial. GHISLAINE MAXWELL FOLLOWS PRISON FITNESS ROUTINE, VIDEO SHOWS, AS DOJ'S JEFFREY EPSTEIN MEMO DRAWS HEAT The property includes a luxe main home that features a fieldstone fireplace, a sun room with its own wood-burning stove, and floor-to-ceiling windows. There's also a converted barn and freestanding garage. The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied Ghislaine's latest appeal in December. She has filed a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking a review at the highest level. EPSTEIN VICTIMS NUMBERED OVER 1,000 – FAR MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN, FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SAY Maxwell's appeal centers on a 2007 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, which stated that "the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein." Maxwell is serving her sentence at FCI Tallahasee, where exclusive photos published by Fox News Digital over the weekend show she is keeping up a jailhouse fitness routine as she vies for her freedom. JEFFREY EPSTEIN MADAM GHISLAINE MAXWELL'S FORMER LONDON TOWNHOUSE, LINKED TO PRINCE ANDREW PHOTO, FOR SALE Epstein's plea deal came from a controversial child trafficking case in the early 2000s, details of which did not emerge for more than a decade. He received a punishment of 13 months for soliciting prostitution from a minor in Palm Beach, Florida. The deal gained intense scrutiny years later after the Miami Herald uncovered details about the crime – so concerning that Florida lawmakers years later passed a bill that allows for the release of secret grand jury files in certain cases. WATCH ON FOX NATION: THE FINAL HOURS OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN Authorities arrested him in 2019 to answer for more crimes – but he died in a New York City jail just a month later, in what was officially ruled a suicide by hanging. The following summer, the FBI arrested Maxwell in the New Hampshire hideout. Her former London townhouse also went up for sale recently – for nearly $4 million. It's in the UK city's upscale Belgravia neighborhood, across the street from the Nag's Head Pub and near the upscale Pantechnicon complex. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a U.S. lawsuit, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged she met the British Prince Andrew at a London nightclub called Tramp before he forced her to have sex inside the home. She died of suicide earlier this year.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy beats RICO, found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking
The jury in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial reached a verdict on all counts Wednesday. The jury found Diddy not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He was found guilty on both counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. COUNT 1 - RICO: NOT GUILTY COUNT 2 - SEX TRAFFICKING, CASSIE VENTURA: NOT GUILTY COUNT 3 - MANN ACT TRANSPORTATION, CASSIE VENTURA: GUILTY COUNT 4 - SEX TRAFFICKING, JANE: NOT GUILTY COUNT 5 - MANN ACT TRANSPORTATION, JANE: GUILTY A federal RICO violation can result in a 20-year sentence. The transportation to engage in prostitution charge could carry a sentence of up to 10 years, while sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion may carry a 20-year sentence. "We've been saying all along in this case that it's been overcharged by the government, that they were taking these very nuanced relationships, and trying to make them criminal," Harvey Weinstein's former lawyer, Donna Rotunno, told Fox News. "I think Marc [Agnifilo] did a really good job in his closing arguments, highlighting that to the jury. Overall, this is a huge loss to the government, the money that they spent on this prosecution, the amount of press, notoriety, this is a definite win for Mr. Combs." DIDDY JURY DEADLOCKED AFTER RAPPER'S DEFENSE PLAYED 'HIGH STAKES POKER': EXPERT Diddy's jury seemed to believe that his relationships were genuine, according to Fox News contributor Paul Mauro. "At the end of the day, the jury did not believe that the sex trafficking was coercive," the retired NYPD inspector said. "They seemed to believe the relationships were genuine and/or transactional. That took those charges and the RICO with it. It argues that the case was overcharged under the evidence the government had." Parties will be granted a few hours to arrange arguments regarding Diddy's detention. The judge joked that he assumed Diddy does not want to return to MDC Brooklyn. The rapper shook his head very exaggeratedly and then looked up with his hands together as if praying. After the judge left, Diddy knelt down with his arms on the chair in front of him. He then got up, faced the gallery and started clapping. The courtroom opened up in applause and cheers for him. Combs could be heard saying "thank God" and "I love you" several times. The lawyers all hugged. Defense attorney Teny Geragos was crying as she hugged Combs' family. The family all embraced sharing hugs and handshakes. People in the courtroom shouted "dream team" to the lawyers. WATCH: CROWDS GATHER OUTSIDE NYC COURTROOM AFTER DIDDY'S VERDICT REVEALED DIDDY JURY SETBACK COULD INDICATE A 'STEALTH JUROR,' MIGHT SIGNAL MAJOR ADVANTAGE FOR DEFENSE: EXPERT Cassie Ventura's lawyer reacted to the verdict on behalf of his client. Cassie, who dated Diddy from 2007 until 2018, testified during the sex trafficking and racketeering trial. "This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023. Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. We must repeat – with no reservation – that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors." Diddy returned to the courtroom Wednesday morning wearing another beige sweater while the jury continued deliberating. He hugged his lawyers and waved to his mother and a supporter who was whispering, "Hi Diddy" to him. The rapper also made the heart symbol with his hand. Combs then spoke to the court marshals briefly before standing and facing his family. He said a brief prayer, asking God to watch over his family and bless the jurors. The family all bowed their heads and said "amen" when Diddy finished. The family then clapped. On Tuesday, after nearly 14 hours of deliberation, the jury revealed they had reached a verdict on four of the five counts Diddy faces. The jury indicated they couldn't reach a unanimous decision on the racketeering charge, one of the most serious counts against the disgraced music mogul. After receiving the fourth note of substance from the jury, the court directed them to continue deliberating on the racketeering conspiracy. The jury was brought out and a portion of the instructions were re-read by Judge Arun Subramanian. When the jury was brought back into the courtroom, the judge asked them to keep deliberating, saying it is their duty to discuss among themselves and form opinions. Judge Subramanian said the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict, but must not give up their convictions merely to return a verdict or satisfy the rest of the jurors. The jury was then dismissed back to the jury room. WATCH: CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY 'NOT SURPRISED' BY PARTIAL VERDICT IN DIDDY TRIAL DIDDY JURY REACHES PARTIAL VERDICT IN SEX TRAFFICKING, RACKETEERING TRIAL Jurors began deliberating on Monday, June 30, after hearing seven weeks of trial testimony. The prosecution chose to rest the case on June 24. Special Agent Joseph Cerciello was the final witness to take the stand for the prosecution, making him the 34th person to testify. Diddy's defense called no witnesses. Diddy pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The disgraced music mogul was arrested in September 2024, months after Homeland Security Investigations raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes of the rapper. LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS During closing arguments, Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, insisted the rapper was innocent. He noted that it takes courage for a juror to acquit. "Return him to his family who have been waiting for him." He also accused the prosecution of bringing a "fake trial" against Diddy, claiming the government went after his "private sex life." According to his lawyer, none of the prosecution witnesses testified to engaging in racketeering. Agnifilo pointed out the disgraced music mogul's former employees all described working for him as hard, but also said it was like "going to Harvard Business School." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Before the defense's closing arguments, the government explained how the trial testimony proved each charge against Diddy – two counts of sex trafficking, racketeering and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution – over the course of roughly four hours. The government emphasized in their argument that Diddy ran an alleged criminal enterprise with full control. The prosecution pointed out that the jury heard testimony, saw texts, viewed bank records and heard audio allegedly showing the "Last Night" rapper committing crime after crime for decades. Prosecutors argued the disgraced music mogul used his inner circle, money and influence to cover up the alleged crimes he committed. "Over the last several weeks, you've learned a lot about Sean Combs," Slavik said at the start of closing statements. "He's a leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn't take no for an answer." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
