What to know on Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Jeffrey Epstein files: The latest
It's unclear what came out of the interview, but Maxwell's lawyer David Markus said his client answered all of the government's questions, which covered about 100 people.
"She answered questions about everybody and she didn't hold anything back," Markus said, without specifying who was mentioned.
The Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on what came out of the interview.
The talks follow more than two weeks of bubbling outrage from members of President Donald Trump's base over the department's announcement in early July that it won't release its files on Epstein. DOJ said a systematic review of the files didn't turn up any list of clients involved in Epstein's crimes.
Even some congressional Republicans have clamored for the files' release or introduced legislation to try to force the Trump administration's hand. Republican leadership has so far blocked the legislation and White House officials continue to resist those calls.
Still, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has suggested that Maxwell could reveal new details about Epstein's circle and crimes.
Here is all the latest on the fallout:
July 25: Maxwell lawyer signals desire for pardon
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking a minor to Epstein for sexual abuse, and for conspiring to entice and transport minors for illegal sex acts. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, and has an appeal pending at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Markus indicated July 25 that his client could ask for a pardon soon, following the two days she spent talking to Justice Department officials July 24-25.
"We haven't spoken to the president or anybody about a pardon just yet," he said. "The president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way."
Trump has the power to pardon Maxwell fully as well as to commute her prison sentence. But to many, that might look more like reducing than enhancing accountability – especially if Maxwell offers little in return.
In the morning on July 25, Trump said he hasn't thought about pardoning Maxwell, but also didn't rule it out.
"I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about," Trump said. "I certainly can't talk about pardons now."
July 25: 16% of voters in poll approve of Trump administration on Epstein
Only 16% of of voters who responded to a poll released July 25 by Emerson College Polling approved of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. Fifty-one percent disapproved, while 33% were neutral.
The poll surveyed 1,400 U.S. voters from July 21-22. Its margin of error is ±2.5 points, according to the polling organization.
July 23: Florida judge shields Epstein grand jury testimony
In addition to approaching Maxwell, the Justice Department asked federal judges in Florida and New York to unseal transcripts of testimony before grand juries investigating Epstein and Maxwell. If judges allow for the transcripts' release, the department said it will first redact both victim-related information and personal identifying information from the transcripts.
On July 23, federal Judge Judge Robin L. Rosenberg rejected the request in Florida, writing that she doesn't have the power to order the records' release because of a past ruling from an appeals court that presides over her trial court.
Judges in New York haven't yet ruled on the administration's requests there.
July 23: Reports emerge that AG Bondi told Trump in May he is named in Epstein files
Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May that he was named multiple times in the government's files on Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and CNN.
A White House official did not dispute that Trump's name is mentioned in the Epstein files, telling USA TODAY that briefing binders Bondi prepared for MAGA influencers in February included the president's name. But the official rejected any suggestion that Trump engaged in wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Being named doesn't mean the person did anything criminal.
July 22: House Speaker Mike Johnson starts summer recess early to avoid Epstein
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, announced on July 22 he is shutting down the House for its summer recess early to avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Johnson said there was "no daylight" between the Trump administration and the House, and the White House needed "space" to address the issue.
Members of Congress were scheduled to leave Washington for several weeks starting July 24, but Johnson said he would cut the schedule short and end with votes on July 23.
Johnson took that step after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, co-sponsored legislation calling for the release of the government's Epstein records.
July 22: New footage shows Epstein at Trump wedding
Archived video footage and photos revealed by CNN July 22 showed Jeffrey Epstein attended Trump's wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel in 1993.
Maples is the second of Trump's three wives. The couple divorced in 1999.
"You've got to be kidding me," Trump told CNN when asked about the wedding photos on a phone call. He called the outlet "fake news" and hung up.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the images were "out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious."
July 22: House committee agrees to seek Maxwell testimony
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed on July 22 to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell to testify.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, said he pressed for the subpoena in order to learn more about Epstein's criminal conduct.
'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,' Burchett said.
July 18: Trump sues Wall Street Journal over lewd Epstein birthday letter
On July 17, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump sent Epstein a lewd birthday letter for his 50th birthday, which took place in early 2003. Trump called the letter a "FAKE" on social media July 17 and sued the newspaper's publisher for libel on July 18.
The letter contains typewritten dialogue between "Donald" and "Jeffrey," and at a later point "Trump." In the dialogue, "Donald" says, "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey" and that, "Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" The dialogue ends with "Trump" saying, "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."
The dialogue is encased within a seemingly hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, the Journal reported. The letter includes a pair of arcs denoting the woman's breasts, and a "Donald" squiggly signature mimicking pubic hair.
USA TODAY could not verify the details or origin of the letter.
Contributing: Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Melina Khan, Savannah Kuchar, Christopher Cann - USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The latest on Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the Epstein files
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Darren Walker's new book is still hopeful despite growing inequality as he leaves Ford Foundation
NEW YORK (AP) — Darren Walker needed to be convinced of his new book's relevance. The outgoing Ford Foundation president feared that 'The Idea of America," set to publish in September just before he leaves the nonprofit, risked feeling disjointed. In more than eight dozen selected texts dating back to 2013, he reflects on everything from his path as a Black, gay child from rural Texas into the halls of premiere American philanthropies to his solutions for reversing the deepening inequality of our 'new Gilded Age." 'To be clear, not everything I said and wrote over the last 12 years is worthy of publication," Walker said. A point of great regret, he said, is that he finds American democracy weaker now than when he started. Younger generations lack access to the same 'mobility escalator' that he rode from poverty. And he described President Donald Trump's administration's first six months as 'disorienting' for a sector he successfully pushed to adopt more ambitious and just funding practices. Despite that bleak picture, Walker embraces the characterization of his upcoming collection as patriotic. 'My own journey in America leaves me no option but to be hopeful because I have lived in a country that believed in me,' he said. Walker recently discussed his tenure and the book's call for shared values with the Associated Press inside his Ford Foundation office — where an enlarged picture of a Black child taken by Malian portrait photographer Seydou Keïta still hangs, one of many underrepresented artists' works that populated the headquarters under his leadership. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Q: Upon becoming Ford Foundation's president, you suggested that 'our most important job is to work ourselves out of a job' — a 2013 statement you include in the book. How would you grade your efforts? A: The past 12 years have been both exhilarating and exhausting. Exhilarating because there's never been a more exciting time to be in philanthropy. And exhausting because the political, socioeconomic dynamics of the last 12 years are very worrisome for our future. Philanthropy can play a role in helping to strengthen our democracy. But philanthropy can't save America. I would probably give myself a B or a B-. I don't think where we are as a nation after 12 years is where any country would want to be that had its eye on the future and the strength of our democracy. Q: Is there anything you would do differently? A: In 2013 and those early speeches, I identified growing inequality as a challenge to the strength of our democracy. And a part of that manifestation of growing inequality was a growing sense of disaffection — from our politics, our institutions, our economy. For the first time, a decade or so ago, we had clear evidence that working class white households were increasingly downwardly mobile economically. And the implications for that are deep and profound for our politics and our democracy. We started a program on increasing our investments in rural America, acknowledging some of the challenges, for example, of the trends around the impacts of the opioid epidemic on those communities. I underestimated the depth and the collective sense of being left behind. Even though I think I was correct in diagnosing the problem, I think the strategy to respond was not focused enough on this population. Q: Many people credit you for using Ford Foundation's endowment to increase grantmaking during the pandemic. Is that sort of creativity needed now with the new strains faced by the philanthropic sector? A: One of the disappointments I have with philanthropy is that we don't take enough risk. We don't innovate given the potential to use our capital to provide solutions. I do think that, in the coming years, foundations are going to be challenged to step up and lean in in ways that we haven't since the pandemic. The 5% payout is treated as a ceiling by a lot of foundations and, in fact, it's a floor. During these times when there's so much accumulated wealth sitting in our endowments, the public rightly is asking questions about just how much of that we are using and towards what end. Q: Where do you derive this sense of 'radical hope' at the end of your book? A: As a poor kid in rural Texas, I was given the license to dream. In fact, I was encouraged to dream and to believe that it will be possible for me to overcome the circumstances into which I was born. I've lived on both sides of the line of inequality. And I feel incredibly fortunate. But I'm also sobered by the gap between the privileged and the poor and the working-class people in America. It has widened during my lifetime and that is something I worry a lot about. But I'm hopeful because I think about my ancestors who were Black, enslaved, poor. African Americans, Black people, Black Americans have been hopeful for 400 years and have been patriots in believing in the possibility that this country would realize its aspirations for equality and justice. That has been our North Star. Q: Heather Gerken, the dean of Yale's law school, was recently named as your successor. Why is it important to have a leader with a legal background and an expertise in democracy? A: She is the perfect leader for Ford because she understands that at the center of our work must be a belief in democracy and democratic institutions and processes. She is also a bridge builder. She is a coalition builder. She's bold and courageous. I'm just thrilled about her taking the helm of the Ford Foundation. It is a signal from the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees that we are going to double down on our investment and our commitment to strengthening, protecting and promoting democracy. Q: Youtold AP last year that, when you exited this building for the last time, you'd only be looking forward. What does 'forward' mean to you now? A: I have resolved that I don't want to be a president or a CEO. I don't need to be a president of CEO. I think leaders can become nostalgic and hold onto their own history. Now there's no doubt, I know, that my obituary is going to say, 'Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation." That's the most important job I'll ever have. But hopefully I'll be able to add some more important work to that. ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit James Pollard, The Associated Press
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5-Year-Old Girl Escapes Shooting Covering in Blood Splatter After Man Allegedly Kills 3 Women in Florida Home: Police
The shooting occurred at a residence in Nassau County, Fla. on the evening of Thursday, July 24 A 5-year-old girl managed to escape without being hurt after three females were shot and killed by a gunman in a home in Florida, authorities have said. On Thursday, July 24 at around 8 p.m. local time, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a possible shooting on West 12th Avenue in Hilliard, Nassau County, Sheriff Bill Leeper said at a news conference, per a clip shared by First Coast News. Leeper told reporters the incident was "tragic," adding, "It's heartbreaking and totally, totally was unnecessary." He explained that "deputies [had] responded to the residence and attempted to make contact with anyone inside." 'We got no response. They tried to look through open windows to see if there were any signs of people inside. As they checked the front door, they found it to be unlocked, so they opened the door and announced who they were and called out for anyone, but got no response," Leeper said. Officers who entered the residence then saw a female "on the floor, between the living room and dining room, lying in blood," before noticing a male subject in the living room, with a black assault-style rifle beside him. Another female was discovered deceased in the hallway bathroom and a further deceased female was found in a bedroom across the hall from the bathroom. The male had a "slight pulse," and was airlifted to hospital, the sheriff told reporters. The male suspect — who has been identified as Christopher Bobby Rowell, 34 — is now clinically dead, the officer said. Leeper confirmed the gun found next to him was a black 'SKS-style 7.62 caliber assault rifle.' 'It appears the shooter first shot the female in the living room, dining room area, then shot the female in the bathroom, and then shot the female in the bedroom,' the sheriff told reporters. 'He eventually returned to the living room where he shot himself in the head.' Discussing the 5-year-old's escape, the sheriff said, "A neighbor across the street reported that a 5-year-old female, who was inside the residence at the time of the shooting, came to their house, banging on the door and stated the suspect had killed others inside the home," adding that they then called 911. "The child said she was in the back of the house, heard a gun shot, she came down the hallway, seen [the] female on the floor,' Leeper said at the conference. 'Another female grabbed her, put her in the bathroom." And when the woman who pulled the little girl into the bathroom was shot, Leeper said the 5-year-old "got blood splatter on her." The sheriff told reporters the little girl "was in shock, naturally,' following the incident. 'She's a very strong little girl. Very brave. Beautiful girl. She's with other relatives at this time. So she's safe, but she was traumatized," he said during the conference. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. All those involved in the shooting were related, the sheriff said, but he declined to mention how at the moment. He told reporters that this was "some type of domestic incident," and said further details would eventually be released amid the ongoing investigation. The Nassau County Sheriff's Office didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tacoma mayor candidates join forums to debate top issues. Here's what they said
Ahead of the Aug. 5 primary election, candidates running to become Tacoma's next mayor have joined several candidate forums to discuss issues like housing, homelessness, public safety, business and more. According to the state's public disclosure commission, the city's mayoral race has been the seventh-most expensive race in the state so far, with close to $300,000 in expenditures across all candidates. The King County executive and Seattle mayoral races lead the way. John Hines, currently representing district 1 on the Tacoma city council, has raised the most money with $174,564.42. He is closely followed by former district 1 city council member Anders Ibsen at $167,427.84. Candidates Whitney Stevens, Steve Haverly and Jesus 'Jesse' Carlos follow, with $21,658.16, $13,601.41, and $10,109.71 in funds raised, respectively. Candidate Anthony (Tony) Ginn follows, having reported zero expenditures and contributions. The News Tribune attended and watched mayoral candidate forums this month so you don't have to. Here's a roundup of some of what candidates had to say on housing, public safety, the city's budget and business. Housing and homelessness Housing and homelessness were top of mind for forum attendees and candidates alike. In a housing-themed forum co-sponsored by groups like Tacoma For All, United Food and Commercial Workers 367 and the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance, mayoral candidates discussed their tactics to address homelessness in Tacoma, housing affordability and tenants rights. Candidates at the forum — which all but Ginn attended — separated into a few different camps in response to questions about Tacoma's Tenant Bill of Rights. Stevens and Carlos both said they were renters-turned-homeowners and small landlords in Tacoma, and both expressed concerns about how Tacoma's Tenant Bill of Rights could deter small landlords in the city. 'We want more [Accessory Dwelling Units],' Stevens said at the forum. 'We want more small individual landlords. We need to make sure that the system in place is allowing that type of housing to exist.' Haverly said the city needed to find a 'happy medium' that eliminates landlords who are abusive to tenants, and tenants who take advantage of landlords. Hines said he wasn't a proponent of the Tenant Bill of Rights, and said he felt it pushed existing affordable housing out of the market, which he said was the city's bigger problem. Ibsen, on the other hand, said the measure had room for improvement in the realm of licensing, potentially requiring landlords to have business licenses for their rentals. 'I'm speaking a little bit, actually, as a bit of a traitor to my class. I'm actually a landlord who's not endorsed by the landlord lobby, running for this position. One of my opponents is, though,' Ibsen said, likely of Hines, who is endorsed by the Rental Housing Association of Washington. Public safety Candidates seemed to somewhat converge on their stances on public safety. In response to a question in TV Tacoma's mayoral forum — which Haverly and Carlos were absent from — about how they would improve community relations with the Tacoma Police Department, 'community policing' and improving response times was a popular refrain. Ibsen was among that group, as was Hines, who added that he wanted to solicit feedback from community members to find out what the department could do to help Tacoma residents feel more safe. Ginn also suggested encouraging officers to spend time in the communities they work for. Stevens outlined similar plans, emphasizing transparency and increased communication with Tacoma residents and Tacoma police officers to identify their needs. 'Accountability starts at the top. It means that the mayor, the city manager, whatever form of government, those leaders, the police chief, are talking about this every single day,' Stevens said at the forum. Business Business was top of mind for attendees at Tacoma Rising's mayoral forum and watch party, in which candidates answered questions in a pre-recorded video and answered follow-up questions at the forum. The discussion, particularly that around the proposed Workers Bill of Rights, drew clear lines between candidates. Organizers with the Tacoma Democratic Socialists of America and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union 367 recently took the next step in getting the proposal on the ballot, which could among other things set a $20 minimum wage in Tacoma. Ginn said he supported it, and Carlos said he didn't. Ibsen and Hines said they were in favor of the sentiment behind it but could not support it 'as it's written.' Haverly made the same argument he made at the housing forum regarding the Tenant Bill of Rights — that both employers have been abusive to their employees and employees have taken advantage of employers, and that the city needs to come up with a plan for both to meet in the middle. Stevens, on the other hand, said she was the only candidate who signed the petition to put the Workers Bill of Rights on the ballot — 'not because I endorse it, and not because I even know if I'm voting for it, but because I understand the motivations behind it,' she said at the forum. Tacoma's budget As the city of Tacoma faces a budget deficit, questions about cutting costs and boosting revenues were among the top subjects of discussion at mayoral forums. Ibsen and Hines both appeared to agree that the city will likely need to put another property tax hike on the ballot after the recent failures of Tacoma's streets initiative and a levy-lid lift for the city's fire department. Hines emphasized that putting effort into drawing more businesses to the city could boost its revenues, and Ibsen said the city would need to look for non-traditional revenue sources, like having Tacoma Public Utilities rent out empty space to local businesses. Haverly said the city will have to rely increasingly on the state government to help boost Tacoma's revenues, given instability at the level of the federal government. In response to a question about how to address the city's budget deficit, Ginn said he wants to focus on Tacoma's youth, and ensuring they get the education they need. Stevens took a different approach as she has in other forums, making the case that the city can address its revenue shortfalls by making childcare more accessible to allow for more parents to join the workforce. She also said police accountability is also a budgetary issue, given the amount of money the city has spent on lawsuits related to police conduct. 'That should stop, because that is money we cannot afford to lose,' she said at the TV Tacoma forum. Carlos, at the mayoral forum on housing, said the city needs to 'democratize the capital' that it needs to invest in new programs, like efforts to encourage affordable housing in Tacoma. 'I know that people have their feelings about what NFTs and blockchain technology can do,' he said at the forum, drawing audible surprise from audience members. 'I'm serious. I teach it at Harvard, and it really is a way to democratize the funding of social housing projects.' Solve the daily Crossword