Ghislaine Maxwell to meet justice officials as lawmakers sent home early to dodge Epstein files vote
Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche – formerly President Donald Trump's lawyer – said he had approached Maxwell's counsel to see if she would speak with prosecutors, and anticipated meeting her 'in the coming days'. Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus confirmed the discussions.
The development instantly sparked speculation Trump could pardon Maxwell if she were to give evidence that did not implicate the president, who is a former friend of Epstein, and whose presence in the so-called Epstein files has long been rumoured.
Trump has come under intense pressure over the Epstein case in the past fortnight, especially from his Make America Great Again base, after the Justice Department and FBI said they would not release any more records from the investigation and the case was effectively closed.
Many MAGA supporters believe well-known Americans or members of the liberal elite are embroiled in the Epstein affair, and have demanded the documents be publicly released. Some do not believe the disgraced financier killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. The FBI says there is no evidence of foul play.
Trump, who denies any knowledge of Epstein's crimes and says the pair fell out in the 2000s, initially said he supported releasing the records. The White House furnished a group of right-wing podcasters and influencers with a select trove of documents in February, but these proved to contain little new information.
Since then, Trump has played down the scandal, calling it 'boring' and queried why anyone would still be interested in the Epstein matter. He denounced his own supporters for buying into 'bullshit', and said the Epstein matter was a 'hoax' perpetuated by the Democrats.
But amid continuing pressure, he asked Attorney-General Pam Bondi to unseal grand jury transcripts, which represent only a part of the evidence and must be approved by a judge, and release any 'credible' evidence.
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