Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's Long-Time Associate?
Maxwell, who has been described as Epstein's closest associate, is in federal prison after being convicted for her role in recruiting multiple minor girls to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019. (Maxwell has continuously denied that she knew Epstein was sexually abusing minors.)
The 63-year-old former British socialite has met with Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for multiple hours over the past two days. Details about the conversations were not made public.
'The Department of Justice will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time,' Blanche shared on X. Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus indicated that his client did not engage in any discussions about a presidential pardon, though he acknowledged that Trump has the ability to issue one. 'The President this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way,' Markus said on Friday.
Members of Congress are also seeking to speak with Maxwell amid the heightened attention on Epstein's case, with the House Oversight Committee voting late Wednesday to subpoena her for a deposition.
Epstein's association with the rich and famous has garnered great international interest and spun off conspiracy theories, especially among those on the right. That interest flared into outrage from the President's MAGA base after the Trump Administration walked back on campaign promises to release more information about Epstein and issued a memo aiming to put to bed conspiracy theories surrounding the case that had previously been fueled by several high-ranking Administration officials.
Amid the outcry, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requested the release of grand jury transcripts in Epstein's case. A Florida federal judge denied one of the requests this Wednesday, but two others remain pending in New York.
Some documents connected with the disgraced financier have previously been unsealed—including a number from a lawsuit against Maxwell.
Here's what to know about the former Epstein associate.
She was a long-time Epstein associate
Maxwell, the daughter of British media mogul Robert Maxwell, reportedly met Epstein in New York in the late '80s or '90s after moving to the city following her father's death. The relationship between the two at one point was romantic.
Maxwell's connections among the wealthy and elite helped Epstein connect with several notable figures he is known to have had connections with, including Prince Andrew, who has faced accusations of sexual abuse. (He has denied the allegations.)
Maxwell was the person behind the 2003 birthday book for Epstein that Trump reportedly wrote a letter for, according to the Wall Street Journal. Former President Bill Clinton, fashion designer Vera Wang, and others were also reportedly featured in the leather-bound album of birthday notes.
She was convicted of sex trafficking and other crimes
For about a decade roughly between 1994 and 2004, Maxwell facilitated and participated in Epstein's abuse of minor girls by helping groom and recruit victims as young as 14, prosecutors alleged in the federal indictment against her, court documents, and evidence presented at her trial.
As part of her recruitment efforts, Maxwell would allegedly take young girls on shopping trips, pay for travel or education opportunities, and discuss their personal lives with them. She was also present in their initial interactions with Epstein, according to the Justice Department, which it said 'put victims at ease by providing the assurance and comfort of an adult woman who seemingly approved of Epstein's behavior.' Court evidence and documents show that Maxwell would discuss sexual topics and undress in front of the victims to 'normalize' and 'facilitate' sexual abuse, per the DOJ.
Maxwell allegedly coerced young girls to travel to Epstein's homes in different states knowing it would lead to their abuse. Prosecutors said that she was present during, and would sometimes engage in, 'massages' with the minors and Epstein that were sexual in nature.
Following the lewd acts, the victims were paid hundreds of dollars in cash, prosecutors said. Some were allegedly given money to recruit more young girls to be abused by Epstein.
After a monthlong trial, Maxwell was found guilty on multiple federal criminal charges, including sex trafficking. She was sentenced in 2022 to serve 20 years in prison.
One of the victims, identified as Virginia Giuffre, alleged in a lawsuit that Maxwell recruited her as a masseuse for Epstein while she was working at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort as a teenager. Giuffre filed a 2015 defamation lawsuit against Maxwell after the British socialite referred to her allegations as 'obvious lies.' The case was later settled in Giuffre's favor for an undisclosed amount and the suit was partially unsealed by a federal appeals court. (Giuffre also filed a suit against Prince Andrew, alleging he raped her when she was a minor at two of Epstein's homes. He has denied the accusations. That suit was also settled, in 2022.)
In April, Maxwell filed a petition to the Supreme Court seeking to overturn her conviction.
Maxwell's appeal argues that she should have been shielded from federal charges due to a 2008 deal Epstein struck with Florida prosecutors. Under the agreement, the disgraced financier agreed to plead guilty to two state-level prostitution-related charges in exchange for assurances that federal charges would not be levied against him. Epstein's co-conspirators were also supposed to be protected under the deal.
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to reject Maxwell's appeal earlier this month.
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