Justice department official meets Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in prison
What's the story
A senior United States Justice Department official met Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, on Thursday. The meeting was held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein's sex trafficking operation. After the meeting, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said he plans to continue his interview with Maxwell on Friday.
Legal proceedings
'First time the government did it...': Maxwell's attorney
While the "substance" of the discussions was kept under wraps, Maxwell's attorney, David Markus, said she answered every question. "She never did say I'm not going to answer, never declined." He also expressed gratitude that Blanche had come to ask Maxwell questions. He said, "It's the first time the government did it...So it was a good day." However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Blanche's involvement in interviewing Maxwell due to potential conflicts of interest. Blanche is Trump's former lawyer.
Public demand
Calls to release Epstein files
The meeting comes amid rising calls from the public and lawmakers for the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein's case. The demands grew louder after the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI concluded that there was no evidence that Epstein was murdered in prison or that he maintained a "client list" of high-profile individuals involved in illegal activities. Since then, interest has switched back to Maxwell, convicted for helping Epstein abuse young girls.
Legal developments
House sub-committee votes to subpoena Maxwell
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump during a May briefing that his name appeared in DOJ documents related to Epstein's case. However, the White House has dismissed these reports as "fake news." Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.