Family of Epstein accuser asks if Trump knew of his abuse
Trump and Epstein were friends for more than a decade in the 1990s and early 2000s.
More: She's inmate No. 02879-509 in Florida. But once again, Ghislaine Maxwell is holding court
Trump made the comment July 30, telling reporters Epstein "stole her" while Giuffre was working as a spa attendant, and that he subsequently banned Epstein from his Palm Beach residence and club after he tried to poach additional employees.
"I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people," Trump said of Giuffre. "He stole her. And by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever."
Giuffre had long insisted that Maxwell - Epstein's longtime associate and former girlfriend - was the one who met her at the club and recruited her to serve as a masseuse for Epstein. That arrangement ultimately led to Epstein sexually abusing her and Maxwell trafficking Giuffre to have sex with other men, she said.
More: How Trump and 'terrific guy' Jeffrey Epstein's party boy friendship ended badly
Trump's comments on Air Force One appeared to be the first time he had personally confirmed aspects of Giuffre's story and suggested her employment might have been at least partially responsible for his falling out with Epstein.
The Giuffre family's statement is the latest development in the growing controversy over Trump's relationship with Maxwell and Epstein, who died by suicide while in custody awaiting trial in 2019. It was issued by her surviving siblings and their spouses, Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson.
More: Trump says he's 'allowed' to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell and he never went to Epstein's island
In their lengthy statement, the Giuffre family rejected Trump's characterization, saying she was "stolen" by Maxwell, not Epstein.
"We would like to clarify that it was convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell who targeted and preyed upon our then 16-year-old sister, Virginia, from Mar-a-Lago, where she was working in 2000, several years before Epstein and President Trump had their falling out," the family said.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the White House said no leniency is being given or discussed, and Trump himself has said he's not thinking about clemency for Maxwell at this time.
In its statement, the family also said, "Virginia always said that Ghislaine Maxwell was vicious and could often be more cruel than Epstein."
They called on Trump to "never consider giving Ghislaine Maxwell any leniency."
"Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life," the family said. "She must remain in prison - anything less would go down in history as being one of the highest travesties of justice."
More: New photos confirm Epstein attended Donald Trump's wedding
The family statement comes just days after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche - Trump's former criminal defense lawyer - interviewed Maxwell in a Tallahassee, Florida, courthouse near where she is serving a 20-year sentence for trafficking a minor to Epstein for sexual abuse.
In a social media post, Blanche said he was interviewing the former British socialite because if "Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say."
The two days of talks between the Justice Department and Maxwell have led Trump critics, including Democrats in Congress, to speculate that Trump is seeking a way to silence Maxwell while at the same time quelling the growing controversy over his administration's attempts to close the book on the long-running Epstein saga.
More: Democrats hammer Epstein issue, find rare power move against Trump
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has faced mounting pressure to reverse its pledge not to release any more documents related to the DOJ investigation into Epstein, a move that prompted fierce backlash from even the president's most loyal followers.
Trump has said he has not considered whether to pardon Maxwell, but said on two occasions in recent days that he is "allowed" to do so as president. Following the first of those remarks on July 29, Maxwell lawyer David Markus said, "We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way."
Maxwell has said she'll testify before Congress, as requested, if Trump grants her clemency.
"If our sister could speak today, she would be most angered by the fact that the government is listening to a known perjurer," the family said, in reference to Maxwell. "A woman who repeatedly lied under oath and will continue to do so as long as it benefits her position."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
3 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Nato to deliver more military aid to Ukraine after Dutch minister announces deal
The equipment that will be provided is based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. Nato allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. 'Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis,' a Nato spokesperson said. Air defence systems are in greatest need, as the United Nations said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 620-mile front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment which they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of military material, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros (£63bn) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to 65 billion dollars (£49bn) in US aid. Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans said that 'American air defence systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself'. Announcing the deliveries on Monday, he said Russia's attacks are 'pure terror, intended to break Ukraine'. Germany said on Friday that it will deliver two more Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the US will prioritise the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the US.
Rhyl Journal
3 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Nato to deliver more military aid to Ukraine after Dutch minister announces deal
The equipment that will be provided is based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. Nato allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. 'Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis,' a Nato spokesperson said. Air defence systems are in greatest need, as the United Nations said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 620-mile front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment which they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of military material, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros (£63bn) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to 65 billion dollars (£49bn) in US aid. Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans said that 'American air defence systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself'. Announcing the deliveries on Monday, he said Russia's attacks are 'pure terror, intended to break Ukraine'. Germany said on Friday that it will deliver two more Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the US will prioritise the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the US.
Scotsman
4 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Trump's shock new tariff move could add $80 to Scottish products sold in the USA, says Parcelhero
Despite previously announcing that the US would keep its de minimis tariff threshold until July 2027, President Trump is now set to scrap it at the end of this month. That means all goods worth $800 or less entering the US from Scotland and the rest of the UK will no longer be exempt from US tariffs, says the international delivery expert Parcelhero. However, there are two hacks that will help senders avoid the worst impact of the new duties. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A shock decision by President Donald Trump means that America's $800 (£600) de minimis limit is set to be scrapped at the end of this month – that's two years earlier than previously announced. The unexpected acceleration of the axing of the USA's de minimis import threshold is likely to have a substantial impact on Scottish manufacturers and exporters of of 'low-value' goods to the US, warns the international delivery expert Parcelhero. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It says sellers across Scotland and the rest of the UK were already preparing for the worst, as the scrapping of America's de minimis limit was originally announced in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last month. However, that legislation stated that the de minimis tariff exemptions would not be repealed until July 1, 2027. The White House now says: 'President Trump is acting more quickly to suspend the de minimis exemption than the OBBBA requires, to deal with national emergencies and save American lives and businesses NOW.' Exports of products valued at under $800 from Scotland and the rest of the UK to the US will soon cost American consumers more, as the US is set to scrap its de minimis tariff exemptions at the end of the month. Parcelhero's Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: 'Many UK-based exporters of products valued at $800 and under will be taken by surprise by the change. So-called low-value packages will now be subject to the same country-specific tariffs as larger shipments. The sudden increase in the cost of British goods to US consumers could result in UK exporters ending up with warehouses full of unsold items. The only alternative is to absorb the new charges themselves, rather than pass them on to their US customers. 'To give an idea of the scale of the potential impact of the axing of the de minimis limit, in the four quarters leading to the end of Q1, 2025, the UK exported £61.4bn-worth of goods to the US. While this total includes expensive products such as cars, it also includes millions of pounds worth of goods valued at $800 or less, which are about to be clobbered by tariffs for the first time. 'For example, last year the UK exported $138.87m-worth of apparel (including knitted and crocheted clothing), $109.37m-worth of ceramics and $256.75m-worth of toys, games and sports equipment to the US. Most of these products will have had a value of under $800. From the end of this month, these goods will all face new tariffs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The UK is one of the few countries to have reached a trade deal with the US. The terms of the UK's deal are reasonably favourable compared to the tariffs many other nations face. Under the terms of the deal, UK-produced goods now attract a 10% tariff when they arrive in the US whereas, currently, Brazil is facing tariffs of up to 50%. Good deal or not, however, the fact is that all lower-priced UK-produced goods will potentially cost US shoppers more from 29 August than they pay today. 'The new Executive Order states: 'The duty-free de minimis exemption shall no longer apply to any shipment of articles… regardless of value, country of origin, mode of transportation, or method of entry. Accordingly, all such shipments… shall be subject to all applicable duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges.' 'At the very least, that means that, if the UK's trade deal rate of 10% is applied, a UK-made coat costing $800, for example, will cost US shoppers an extra $80 (£60), which could make all the difference between whether they purchase a UK-made product or one manufactured in the US. That may not be the only applicable tariff, however, as it could also attract a further tax depending on the item's tariff code. 'Parcelhero is also concerned that, at least initially, a potential blanket $80 duty might be applied to every package of $800 or less arriving in the US from the UK by post. That's because the new Executive Order's small print states that packages shipped through the 'international postal system' will face EITHER a duty equal to the tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product (which in the UK's case would be 10% of the package's value) OR a 'specific' duty ranging from $80 to $200 per package. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This 'specific' duty could mean a tariff of $80 will be slapped on all packages sent by international mail from the UK, regardless of whether they are worth $1 or $800. That's because a specific tariff of $80 is being applied to all parcels arriving by international post for all countries whose tariff rate is under 16% (a category which includes the UK). 'Believe it or not, this $80 fee could be a lot worse. A blanket $160 will be charged on packages arriving by post if the tariff rate of the country it originates from is between 16-25%, and $200 if the tariff rate of the country the package is posted from is above 25%. 'Why are these steep charges being applied so indiscriminately? When the de minimis limit was first cancelled for goods from China back in February, it resulted in US Customs chaos, the suspension of USPS deliveries of all packages from China and significant backlogs at airport cargo facilities. This blanket duty rate is presumably a way to avoid a similar logjam at the end of August as parcels will only face a specific duty based on the country they were mailed from. 'The good news is that Parcelhero has identified two ways senders can bypass some of the worst impacts of the ending of the de minimis limit. The first is to use an international courier service, rather than traditional postal services such as the Post Office. Using a courier bypasses the 'international postal system' blanket $80 specific duty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our second hack applies particularly to individual senders, rather than businesses. American citizens can continue to receive bona fide gifts valued at $100 (around £75) or less duty-free. So, providing a UK-shipped parcel's documentation specifies the item is a gift and is worth less than the $100 limit, it will escape all new tariffs. 'One final piece of advice applies particularly to overseas traders considering exporting to the US via the UK, in order to qualify for the UK's preferential tariff rate. Don't try it! All goods that are considered to have been transshipped to avoid applicable duties will face a punitive 40% tariff.
