Justice Dept. official meets with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's
imprisoned former girlfriend
[July 25, 2025]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department's No. 2 official met Thursday
with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of financier
and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The meeting in Florida, which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said
he worked to arrange, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to
cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of
President Donald Trump’s base over an earlier refusal to release
additional records in the Epstein investigation.
“Ms. 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,”
attorney David Oscar Markus told reporters outside the federal
courthouse in Tallahassee, where Maxwell met with Blanche.
In a social media post Tuesday, Blanche said that Trump “has told us to
release all credible evidence” and that if Maxwell has information about
anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the Justice
Department “will hear what she has to say.”
Markus said his team was “thankful” the deputy attorney general came to
question Maxwell, calling it a “good day.”
Asked if his client could potentially receive a pardon or see her prison
term reduced, Markus said: “There’s no promises yet. So she’s just
answering questions for now.”
Blanche said Thursday in a social media post that he met with Maxwell
and the interview will continue on Friday.
“The Department of Justice will share additional information about what
we learned at the appropriate time,” he said in a post on X, formerly
Twitter.
The House Committee on Oversight issued a subpoena Wednesday for Maxwell
to testify before committee officials in August.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security
federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years
ago after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage
girls.
Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell
while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless
attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell’s links to
famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires.
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David Oscar Markus, attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, speaks during a
news conference outside the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Fla.,
Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release
more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises
that claimed otherwise from Attorney General Pam Bondi. The
department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump in
May that his name was among high-profile people mentioned in
government files of Epstein, though the mention does not imply
wrongdoing.
Trump, a Republican, has said that he once thought Epstein was a
“terrific guy” but that they later had a falling out.
A subcommittee on Wednesday also voted to subpoena the Justice
Department for documents related to Epstein. And senators in both
major political parties have expressed openness to holding hearings
on the matter after Congress’ August recess.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has introduced
legislation with bipartisan support that would require the Justice
Department to “make publicly available in a searchable and
downloadable format all unclassified records, documents,
communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein and
his associates.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican majority leader, Rep.
Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, have said they will address
whatever outstanding Epstein-related issues are in Congress when
they return from recess.
Epstein, under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, pleaded guilty in
Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for
prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence,
instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required
to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.
In 2019, Epstein was charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for
nearly identical allegations.
___
Williams reported from Detroit.
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