Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to lower-security prison
Maxwell's move from FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison, to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, comes a week after she met with Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, who said he wanted to speak with her about anyone else who may have been involved in Epstein's crimes.
Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, confirmed she was moved but said he had no other comment. Spokespersons for the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The BOP classifies prison camps such as Bryan as minimum security institutions, the lowest of five security levels in the federal system. Such facilities have limited or no perimeter fencing. Low-security facilities such as FCI Tallahassee have double-fenced perimeters and higher staff-to-inmate ratios than camps, according to the bureau.
Asked why Maxwell was transferred, BOP spokesman Donald Murphy said he could not comment on the specifics of any incarcerated individual's prison assignment, but that the BOP determines where inmates are sent based on factors including "the level of security and supervision the inmate requires".
Blanche's meeting with Maxwell came as President Donald Trump faces pressure from both his base of conservative supporters and congressional Democrats to release more information from the Department of Justice's investigations of Maxwell and Epstein.
The Department is seeking court approval to of law enforcement officers' testimony before the grand juries that indicted Maxwell and Epstein. Such transcripts are usually kept secret. Two federal judges in Manhattan are weighing the government's requests.
Lawyers for Maxwell, Epstein, and their alleged victims are due to share their positions on the potential unsealing with the judges in filings on Tuesday.
Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
Neither Markus nor Blanche has provided detailed accounts of what they discussed. Markus has said Maxwell would welcome relief from Trump, who has said he had not thought about whether to pardon her.
Maxwell was found guilty at a 2021 trial of recruiting and grooming girls for Epstein to abuse. She had pleaded not guilty and is asking the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
The US Bureau of Prisons made the announcement on Friday.
Maxwell's move from FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison, to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, comes a week after she met with Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, who said he wanted to speak with her about anyone else who may have been involved in Epstein's crimes.
Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, confirmed she was moved but said he had no other comment. Spokespersons for the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The BOP classifies prison camps such as Bryan as minimum security institutions, the lowest of five security levels in the federal system. Such facilities have limited or no perimeter fencing. Low-security facilities such as FCI Tallahassee have double-fenced perimeters and higher staff-to-inmate ratios than camps, according to the bureau.
Asked why Maxwell was transferred, BOP spokesman Donald Murphy said he could not comment on the specifics of any incarcerated individual's prison assignment, but that the BOP determines where inmates are sent based on factors including "the level of security and supervision the inmate requires".
Blanche's meeting with Maxwell came as President Donald Trump faces pressure from both his base of conservative supporters and congressional Democrats to release more information from the Department of Justice's investigations of Maxwell and Epstein.
The Department is seeking court approval to of law enforcement officers' testimony before the grand juries that indicted Maxwell and Epstein. Such transcripts are usually kept secret. Two federal judges in Manhattan are weighing the government's requests.
Lawyers for Maxwell, Epstein, and their alleged victims are due to share their positions on the potential unsealing with the judges in filings on Tuesday.
Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
Neither Markus nor Blanche has provided detailed accounts of what they discussed. Markus has said Maxwell would welcome relief from Trump, who has said he had not thought about whether to pardon her.
Maxwell was found guilty at a 2021 trial of recruiting and grooming girls for Epstein to abuse. She had pleaded not guilty and is asking the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
The US Bureau of Prisons made the announcement on Friday.
Maxwell's move from FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison, to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, comes a week after she met with Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, who said he wanted to speak with her about anyone else who may have been involved in Epstein's crimes.
Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, confirmed she was moved but said he had no other comment. Spokespersons for the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The BOP classifies prison camps such as Bryan as minimum security institutions, the lowest of five security levels in the federal system. Such facilities have limited or no perimeter fencing. Low-security facilities such as FCI Tallahassee have double-fenced perimeters and higher staff-to-inmate ratios than camps, according to the bureau.
Asked why Maxwell was transferred, BOP spokesman Donald Murphy said he could not comment on the specifics of any incarcerated individual's prison assignment, but that the BOP determines where inmates are sent based on factors including "the level of security and supervision the inmate requires".
Blanche's meeting with Maxwell came as President Donald Trump faces pressure from both his base of conservative supporters and congressional Democrats to release more information from the Department of Justice's investigations of Maxwell and Epstein.
The Department is seeking court approval to of law enforcement officers' testimony before the grand juries that indicted Maxwell and Epstein. Such transcripts are usually kept secret. Two federal judges in Manhattan are weighing the government's requests.
Lawyers for Maxwell, Epstein, and their alleged victims are due to share their positions on the potential unsealing with the judges in filings on Tuesday.
Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
Neither Markus nor Blanche has provided detailed accounts of what they discussed. Markus has said Maxwell would welcome relief from Trump, who has said he had not thought about whether to pardon her.
Maxwell was found guilty at a 2021 trial of recruiting and grooming girls for Epstein to abuse. She had pleaded not guilty and is asking the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
The US Bureau of Prisons made the announcement on Friday.
Maxwell's move from FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison, to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, comes a week after she met with Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, who said he wanted to speak with her about anyone else who may have been involved in Epstein's crimes.
Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, confirmed she was moved but said he had no other comment. Spokespersons for the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The BOP classifies prison camps such as Bryan as minimum security institutions, the lowest of five security levels in the federal system. Such facilities have limited or no perimeter fencing. Low-security facilities such as FCI Tallahassee have double-fenced perimeters and higher staff-to-inmate ratios than camps, according to the bureau.
Asked why Maxwell was transferred, BOP spokesman Donald Murphy said he could not comment on the specifics of any incarcerated individual's prison assignment, but that the BOP determines where inmates are sent based on factors including "the level of security and supervision the inmate requires".
Blanche's meeting with Maxwell came as President Donald Trump faces pressure from both his base of conservative supporters and congressional Democrats to release more information from the Department of Justice's investigations of Maxwell and Epstein.
The Department is seeking court approval to of law enforcement officers' testimony before the grand juries that indicted Maxwell and Epstein. Such transcripts are usually kept secret. Two federal judges in Manhattan are weighing the government's requests.
Lawyers for Maxwell, Epstein, and their alleged victims are due to share their positions on the potential unsealing with the judges in filings on Tuesday.
Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
Neither Markus nor Blanche has provided detailed accounts of what they discussed. Markus has said Maxwell would welcome relief from Trump, who has said he had not thought about whether to pardon her.
Maxwell was found guilty at a 2021 trial of recruiting and grooming girls for Epstein to abuse. She had pleaded not guilty and is asking the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
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Sky News AU
9 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Bill and Hillary Clinton, former AGs and FBI directors subpoenaed for Jeffrey Epstein testimony
House Republicans subpoenaed nearly a dozen former federal officials and politicians — including Bill and Hillary Clinton — as well as records from the Department of Justice on Tuesday amid an expanding probe into the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The officials — including former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller as well as six ex-US attorneys general — were compelled to testify before the House Oversight Committee. Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced the move days after DOJ officials interviewed Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison for conspiring to sexually abuse young girls. 'The facts and circumstances surrounding both Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell's cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny,' Comer wrote in all of the letters. 'While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell's cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government's enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell.' Only three sitting US presidents — and four former commanders-in-chief — have ever testified before a congressional committee, making Bill Clinton a potential fifth. Former federal prosecutor and defense attorney Neama Rahmani told The Post he would be 'very surprised' if the 42nd president were to appear before the committee as scheduled Oct. 14, noting that Clinton as well as the attorneys general could claim executive privilege and spurn the subpoena. The Epstein investigation kicked into high gear after President Trump faced backlash over a two-page memo, released by his DOJ and FBI July 6, that found a 'systematic review' of evidence uncovered no so-called 'client list' of rich and well-connected associates implicated in his sickening crimes. Epstein, 66, committed suicide in his Manhattan jail cell Aug. 10, 2019, multiple federal and independent medical investigations determined, but his well-documented links to Hollywood stars, high-powered attorneys, politicians and influential business leaders — along with his sudden death — led to furious speculation. Trump's current attorney general, Pam Bondi, had indicated a client list was 'sitting' on her desk for the review in February — and that the FBI's New York Field Office was 'in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.' But the July 6 memo said there was 'no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions' and no 'evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.' The FBI-DOJ document still noted that Epstein's crimes impacted 'over one thousand victims.' On July 17, Trump posted on Truth Social: 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval.' 'This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!' he added. More than six in 10 voters have disapproved of the administration's handling of the so-called 'Epstein files,' while just 17% approved, according to a July Quinnipiac University poll. 'The public is understandably upset. This is a classic case of overpromising and under-delivering,' Rahmani said. Republicans in Congress — including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — have also called for more transparency. Trump, a former friend of Epstein who broke off contact in the mid-2000s before the financier's legal troubles began, has told reporters of the public's right to previously undisclosed Epstein information: 'Anything that's credible, I would say, let them have it.' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell July 24 and 25 at the US Attorney's office in Tallahassee, Fla., before she was shuttled to a spacious correctional center in Bryan, Texas, last week. Maxwell — who was given limited immunity — answered every question about '100 different people,' according to her lawyer, Oscar David Markus, who has been pushing for full immunity in response to another subpoena for her testimony from the Oversight panel. The DOJ-Maxwell discussions came amid speculation that the former Epstein associate's legal team could be seeking clemency for their client, who was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced in June 2022. Her lawyers have already appealed her conviction to the US Supreme Court, arguing that she should have been off limits to prosecutors under a plea agreement reached when Epstein was first charged with sex crimes. The justices will consider her petition in late September. The disgraced financier had to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty in June 2008 to Florida charges of soliciting sex from a minor, but went on to host lavish parties and enjoy professional relationships with associates like Prince Andrew and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Bill Clinton rode on Epstein's private jet abroad, nicknamed the 'Lolita Express,' at least 26 times. Following Epstein's arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, a rep for Bill Clinton issued a statement that declared the former president had 'not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade' and 'knows nothing about the terrible crimes.' Alexander Acosta, Trump's labor secretary in his first administration and the former South Florida US Attorney, resigned days after Epstein's 2019 arrest amid outcry over his role in the 2008 plea deal, under which Epstein served just 13 months in prison — much of that time on work release. 'If you really want to dig deep, it would be Acosta,' said Rahmani, who told The Post that he had handled 1,000 cases — many dealing with sex crimes — that led to the incarceration of a defendant and had never heard of a deal as forgiving as the one Epstein received. The veteran prosecutor also expressed shock that Maxwell hasn't agreed to cooperate more with the feds, given her Supreme Court appeal stands 'little to no chance of success.' 'It's the end of the road for her,' Rahmani said. 'She should start talking, whether it's for a reduction in sentence or an outright pardon. She has information that no one else does. She's the next best witness.' 'I still don't understand why she hasn't sung like a canary,' he added. Hillary Clinton has been asked to appear Oct. 9. Reps for the former first couple did not respond to a request for comment. Mueller's deposition is scheduled for Sept. 2; Comey's is scheduled for Oct. 7. Also summoned were former President Joe Biden's AG Merrick Garland, Trump AGs Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions, former President Barack Obama's AGs Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder as well as former President George W. Bush's AG Alberto Gonzales. Barr, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is set to be deposed Aug. 18, Gonzales on Aug. 28, Lynch on Sept. 9, Holder on Sept. 30 and Garland on Oct. 2. Reps for the DOJ declined to comment; Gonzales, Lynch, Garland and Mueller did not immediately respond; Comey, Sessions and Holder could not immediately be reached for comment. The Justice Department has been given until Aug. 19 to turn over the 'full, complete, unredacted Epstein Files.' Originally published as Bill and Hillary Clinton, former AGs and FBI directors subpoenaed for Jeffrey Epstein testimony
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Unredacted' Epstein files – and the Clintons – subpoenaed by US House panel
Washington: US House Republicans subpoenaed the Justice Department, the Clintons and nearly a dozen former federal officials for information about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation, setting up a potential confrontation with the Trump administration. President Donald Trump and his top aides have faced a firestorm over their handling of the Epstein case, with supporters and critics alike demanding they release documents, financial records and information about Epstein's sex-trafficking operation and who may have committed crimes against underage girls. The House subpoena also swept in former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, the Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee, threatening to douse fresh accelerant on an issue that's bedevilled Trump and Republicans in recent weeks. Democrats made life so politically painful for House Republicans over Epstein that Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early for its August break to avoid votes on publicly releasing the Epstein files. Democrats had repeatedly offered amendments to legislation to compel the administration to make the files public and GOP leaders halted work on major legislation. Trump has acknowledged he had a personal relationship with Epstein long ago and attended social gatherings with him, but has denied knowing anything about his sex-trafficking operation. The Wall Street Journal stoked new controversy over Trump's relationship with Epstein with a story last month that said the president once sent a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. Trump denied the story and sued the news organisation. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Trump ally, demanded in a letter to Attorney-General Pam Bondi on Tuesday, Washington time, the 'full, complete, unredacted Epstein files,' including information about his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in sexually abusing underage women. He also issued subpoenas for depositions from an array of former high-ranking FBI and Justice Department officials, including former FBI Director James Comey.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
‘Unredacted' Epstein files – and the Clintons – subpoenaed by US House panel
Washington: US House Republicans subpoenaed the Justice Department, the Clintons and nearly a dozen former federal officials for information about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation, setting up a potential confrontation with the Trump administration. President Donald Trump and his top aides have faced a firestorm over their handling of the Epstein case, with supporters and critics alike demanding they release documents, financial records and information about Epstein's sex-trafficking operation and who may have committed crimes against underage girls. The House subpoena also swept in former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, the Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee, threatening to douse fresh accelerant on an issue that's bedevilled Trump and Republicans in recent weeks. Democrats made life so politically painful for House Republicans over Epstein that Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early for its August break to avoid votes on publicly releasing the Epstein files. Democrats had repeatedly offered amendments to legislation to compel the administration to make the files public and GOP leaders halted work on major legislation. Trump has acknowledged he had a personal relationship with Epstein long ago and attended social gatherings with him, but has denied knowing anything about his sex-trafficking operation. The Wall Street Journal stoked new controversy over Trump's relationship with Epstein with a story last month that said the president once sent a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. Trump denied the story and sued the news organisation. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Trump ally, demanded in a letter to Attorney-General Pam Bondi on Tuesday, Washington time, the 'full, complete, unredacted Epstein files,' including information about his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in sexually abusing underage women. He also issued subpoenas for depositions from an array of former high-ranking FBI and Justice Department officials, including former FBI Director James Comey.
