U.S. justice department to meet with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell
Bondi said Monday that Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche will meet with Maxwell sometime in the 'coming days.'
'President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,' Blanche said in a statement posted by Bondi on X.
Statement from @DAGToddBlanche:
This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead. The joint statement by the DOJ and FBI of July 6 remains as accurate today as it was when it was…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 22, 2025
Story continues below advertisement
'No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits,' Blanche wrote in a follow-up post on his own X account Tuesday, saying he's contacted Maxwell's lawyers.
'Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now.'
Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? At @AGPamBondi's direction, I've contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits. https://t.co/3IZh9viI7i
— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) July 22, 2025
On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed to subpoena Maxwell.
'This deposition will help the American people understand how Jeffrey Epstein was able to carry out his evil actions for so long without being brought to justice,' Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said.
A lawyer for Maxwell confirmed to The Associated Press that there were discussions with the government.
Story continues below advertisement
David Oscar Markus, Maxwell's lawyer, said Tuesday in a statement: 'I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.'
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Blanche also wrote Tuesday that the joint statement from the Justice Department and FBI on July 6 — which said they had determined there was no Epstein 'client list' and would not release any additional files on Epstein — 'remains as accurate today as it was when it was written.'
The overture to lawyers for Maxwell, who in 2022 was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in helping the financier sexually abuse underage girls, 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.
Story continues below advertisement
As part of that effort, the Justice Department, acting at the direction of the Republican president, last week asked a judge to unseal grand jury transcripts from the cases of both Epstein and Maxwell.
Some of Trump's most staunch supporters in recent weeks have called on Bondi to resign, after she back-tracked on a promise she made earlier this year that the department would release additional materials, including 'a lot of names' and 'a lot of flight logs,' in connection with Epstein's clients.
Legal experts, including one of Epstein's former lawyers, Alan Dershowitz, have said that those transcripts will not likely contain the types of materials being sought by Trump's supporters.
A judge could also deny the request.
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Dershowitz called on the Justice Department to release other materials such as FBI reports of interviews with Epstein's victims.
Story continues below advertisement
He also urged the government to grant Maxwell immunity so that she could potentially testify before Congress about Epstein's crimes.
Epstein, who killed himself in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, exploiting vulnerable girls as young as 14, authorities say. He couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion, said prosecutors.
Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, in reference to the Epstein investigation, said 'we should put everything out there and let the people decide.' This week, he's appeared to change his tune, rebuffing pressure from Republican members clamouring for a vote to release the records.
According to the New York Times, 'Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that he would not hold a House vote this summer on whether the Justice Department should release files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, retreating from his demand last week that the material must come out.'
Johnson, who has relied heavily on Trump to hold onto leadership in the House, cast the president's reticence to release information as out of concern for the victims of Epstein.
Story continues below advertisement
Johnson decided to end the House's legislative business early this week after he essentially lost control of the powerful House Rules Committee, which sends bills to the floor for debates and votes. Late Monday evening, business on that panel ground to a halt when the Republicans on the House Rules Committee abruptly recessed proceedings rather than risk more proposals from Democrats pushing them to release Epstein files.
'We have a moral responsibility to expose the evil of Epstein and everybody who was involved in that — absolutely — and we're resolved to do it,' Johnson said during his weekly press conference Tuesday morning. 'But we also have an equal moral responsibility to protect the innocent, and that is a fine needle to thread.'
Q: Do you support the DOJ seeking an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell?
TRUMP: I don't know anything about it. They're gonna what?
Q: The deputy AG has reached out to Ghislaine Maxwell
TRUMP: It sounds appropriate to do, yeah. I don't really follow that too much. The witch hunt… pic.twitter.com/sONkREyyVt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 22, 2025
Story continues below advertisement
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he was unaware of Blanche's plan to meet with Maxwell, but said he thought it would be 'appropriate.'
'I don't know about it, but I think it's something that would be, sounds appropriate to do,' Trump said while taking questions before a bilateral meeting with the president of the Philippines.
— With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
21 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
U.S. imposing 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood
VANCOUVER – British Columbia lumber organizations are condemning the decision by the U.S. Commerce Department to raise anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist. The B.C. Council of Forest Industries issued a statement Friday saying the trade action will harm workers, families and communities across the province and Canada. The council is calling on the Canadian government to make finding a resolution to the softwood dispute a top national priority, saying the latest escalation from the Commerce Department shows they can't wait for the United States to act. The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a separate statement that if the U.S. department's pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between two countries for years before the latest trade war. The American department had issued a preliminary anti-dumping rate in March of 20.07 per cent, up from 7.66 per cent set three years before, which is in addition to the countervailing duties of 6.74 per cent. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'This decision represents yet another example of ongoing U.S. protectionism at a time when cross-border co-operation should be a shared priority,' the statement from the B.C. Lumber Trade Council said. The B.C. Council of Forest Industries said the provincial government could make a number of changes that would help the industry keep mills operating. By activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, it said B.C. could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest sector. 'These unjustified and punitive trade actions continue to harm workers, families, and communities across British Columbia and Canada — and have gone unresolved for far too long,' the statement from the council said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Calgary stabbing sends man to hospital in life-threatening condition
Calgary police said charges are pending against two suspects following a stabbing in downtown Calgary on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Officers responded to the 0-100 block of Dermont Baldwin Way southeast, about 8:40 p.m., for reports of a stabbing and a robbery. View image in full screen Police say two people were taken into custody following a stabbing Thursday evening on Dermont Baldwin Way in downtown Calgary. Global News When they arrived, officers located a man suffering from what appeared to be stab wounds. He was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. Story continues below advertisement A short time later, members of the Calgary police mounted patrol team located two suspects nearby and arrested them. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy One of the suspects also appeared to have stab wounds and was taken to hospital as a precaution. Investigators later determined that his injuries were related to an incident that occurred several days earlier. Officers continue to investigate and police say charges are pending. Anyone with information about the stabbings is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Ford claims asylum seekers wait 2 years for work permits. Feds say it's actually 45 days
The federal government is pushing back against Ontario Premier Doug Ford's claim it takes two years for an asylum seeker to be given the right to work in Canada, saying the average processing time is actually less than two months. Ford made the claim on Wednesday afternoon at the end of a three-day leaders' summit in Huntsville, Ont., where the country's premiers agreed to look at ways to use their constitutional powers to hand out work permits. 'They're waiting over two years, and they're just sucking off the system — not their fault,' Ford said, describing asylum seekers living in hotels near his home. 'The fault falls under immigration that it takes over two years to get a work permit.' The federal government, however, said the claim it takes two years to get a work permit is simply not true. Story continues below advertisement A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told Global News that, since 2022, asylum seekers have been able to apply for a work permit as part of their request to stay in Canada. That request, they said, is made through an online portal and includes checks like a medical exam. Once a claim is determined as eligible to be referred to the Immigration Refugee Board, a work permit is issued within two weeks, the spokesperson said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The average processing time for work permits to be approved is 45 days,' they said. The experience for asylum seekers is likely somewhere between the 45-day and 730-day estimates. Syed Hussan, the executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, said both figures seemed off. 'It's taking sometimes up to six months, up to five months for some people,' he told Global News. 'Some people are getting them in 45 days, it's just inconsistent beyond belief. But four to six months in some cases is a pretty long time, but it's certainly not two years.' Ford made the claim as he launched a plan to use provincial power to hand out more work visas, generally an area of federal responsibility. The premier said he planned to rely on Section 95 of the Constitution, which allows provinces to make decisions about immigration on the condition they don't clash with existing federal legislation. Story continues below advertisement According to officials in his office, work is now underway to study how to make the move, with no timeline yet or concrete plan on how to proceed. Ford said he wanted to do everything he can to help asylum seekers find jobs while they wait for their applications to be assessed. 'I have a tremendous amount of asylum seekers that are up in Etobicoke in the hotels. They're healthy, they're willing to work, they're hardworking people,' Ford said. 'They want to get out there and they want to be like every other Canadian. They want to find a job, they want to be able to first start off renting a condo or part of a house and then buying a house.' Hussna, however, said the message represented a change of tone from Ontario's premier. 'This to me seems like just a political talking point,' he said. 'A way to rage bait and rage farm and look like — the same premier who has been on an anti-immigrant rampage, who has been saying we'll take care of own first.' Back in 2018, Ford said the province had to 'take care of our own' before pushing for immigrants to move to northern Ontario. After briefly removing land from the Greenbelt for new housing in 2022, the premier said the move was necessary because of rising immigration. That year, Canada broke its record for new immigration with 430,000 newcomers. Story continues below advertisement 'He's been really in this divine and conquer, pitting migrants against everyone else to cause a distraction, and now suddenly he's the champion of refugees working,' Hussan added. 'It's completely bizarre.'
