Latest news with #Ghislaine Maxwell
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Ghislaine Maxwell's brother fears she will be KILLED in jail ‘like Epstein'… as he vows to free sex trafficker sister
GHISLAINE Maxwell's brother is afraid she will be killed in prison "like Jeffrey Epstein". Ian Maxwell, 68, is hoping to get his convicted sex trafficker sister out of jail using new evidence. 6 6 6 Ian said he fears for her life behind bars in Tallahassee's federal prison, and warned she's no longer safe inside the overcrowded facility. Worried about her every day, he told the Daily Mail: 'There's such overcrowding in Tallahassee that higher-category prisoners are being placed there and it's becoming a facility that is more dangerous – we've got to get her out of there. 'Normally she spends a lot of time in the prison library helping other prisoners with things like form filling, but she has to go from A to B and isn't always surrounded by guards. 'It's a possibility someone might get to her. I don't want to be dramatic but you can't discount it. Look what happened to Epstein.' Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein lure underage girls into a web of abuse stretching back to the 1990s. During her three-week trial in 2021, jurors heard prosecutors describe Maxwell as "dangerous". While her legal appeals have been thrown out by multiple courts, Ian insists the fight is far from over to get the disgraced British socialite out. The brother revealed her legal team is plotting a last-ditch effort involving new evidence and an explosive habeas corpus filing. He admitted hopes that the US Supreme Court will hear her case are slim. 'It's not a done deal,' he said. 'About 10,000 petitions are lodged each year and they only hear 200 to 250 cases.' But if that fails, the family says they'll take another legal route. 'If they don't hear Ghislaine's case… we will go another route and file a writ of habeas corpus which allows a prisoner to challenge their imprisonment on the basis of new evidence, such as government misconduct.' The family have long argued Maxwell was made a scapegoat for Epstein's crimes and treated harshly to satisfy public outrage after the convicted paedophile died in his cell in 2019. 'I fully believe my sister is innocent and that she will be released some day in the future,' Ian said. The Maxwell family has consistently claimed she was denied a fair trial. And now they're reportedly banking on a controversial 2007 agreement Epstein struck with the Department of Justice to shield his co-conspirators from prosecution. In a recent statement, the family said: 'Our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial. 'Her legal team continues to fight her case in the courts and will file its reply in short order to the government's opposition in the US Supreme Court. 'If necessary, in due course they will also file a writ of habeas corpus in the U.S. District Court, SDNY. 'This allows her to challenge her imprisonment based on new evidence, such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome.' 6 6 Judges have already rejected the defence team's claim that she "should never have been prosecuted" because of the "weird" 2007 plea deal, but the family appears undeterred. It also comes amid reports that Maxwell is pursuing a pardon from Donald Trump, following the closure of the US probe into Epstein's death and financial dealings. A source close to Maxwell exclusively told The Sun on Sunday there's a 'window of momentum' in her favor. The insider said: 'Those close to her believe it's unfair that she alone is paying for Epstein's crimes and call into question much of the evidence against her. 'Now her legal team feel as if they have a rare window of momentum so they are set to take up her case with the President.' Meanwhile, renewed political pressure is mounting over the unresolved mysteries surrounding Epstein's sick empire. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden has claimed a 'big' Epstein file 'full of actionable information' is gathering dust in the Treasury Department — information that could shine more light on the financier's global sex trafficking network. 'Somewhere in the Treasury Department… locked away in a cabinet drawer, is a big Epstein file that's full of actionable information,' Wyden said on the Senate floor. He has urged federal authorities to investigate nearly $1.1 billion in suspicious wire transfers linked to Epstein, as well as his connections to Russian banks and the trafficking of women from Eastern Europe. Although the Biden administration has dismissed claims of hidden records as 'fantasies' and 'political theatre,' calls for transparency around Epstein's finances and ties to powerful individuals continue to grow. 6
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump administration orders release of Epstein court documents amid mounting pressure
Update: Date: 2025-07-19T07:55:16.000Z Title: Trump administration orders release of Epstein court documents Content: The US Department of Justice asked a federal court on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's case at the direction of Donald Trump amid a firestorm over the administration's handling of records related to the wealthy financier. The move – coming a day after a Wall Street Journal story put a spotlight on Trump's relationship with Epstein – seeks to contain a growing controversy that has engulfed the administration since it announced that it would not be releasing more government files from Epstein's sex trafficking case. Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general, filed motions urging the court to unseal the Epstein transcripts as well as those in the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Epstein killed himself in 2019 shortly after his arrest while awaiting trial. The justice department's announcement that it would not be making public any more Epstein files enraged parts of Trump's base in part because members of his own administration had hyped the expected release and stoked conspiracies around the well-connected financier. Trump's demand to release the grand jury transcripts came after the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday on a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump's name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein's 50th birthday. The letter bearing Trump's name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, 'Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret,' according to the newspaper. The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely. Trump denied writing the letter, calling it 'false, malicious, and defamatory' and promised to sue. Trump said he spoke to both to the paper's owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its top editor, Emma Tucker, and told them the letter was 'fake'. In other developments: Attorney general Pam Bondi called the case 'a matter of public concern' in a formal request asking a federal judge to unseal grand jury transcripts from the 2019 investigation into Epstein, the late sex offender and longtime associate of Donald Trump. Dick Durbin, the senior Democrat on the senate judiciary committee wrote to Bondi to ask about the work of the 1,000 FBI personnel who reviewed approximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in March. 'My office was told that these personnel were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned', Durbin wrote. 'What happened to the records mentioning President Trump once they were flagged?' he asked. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, has called for Barack Obama and former senior US national security officials to be prosecuted after accusing them of a 'treasonous conspiracy' intended to show that Trump's 2016 presidential election win was due to Russian interference. The Trump administration has decided to destroy $9.7m worth of contraceptives rather than send them abroad to women in need. A state department spokesperson confirmed that the decision had been made – a move that will cost US taxpayers $167,000. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state barred Brazilian supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes from the United States in retaliation for the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil who has been charged for his role in allegedly leading an attempted coup following his loss in the 2022 election. Democrats are condemning CBS for its decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, noting the news comes a few days after its host criticized the network's parent company, Paramount, for settling a $16m lawsuit with Donald Trump. Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who appeared as a guest on Colbert's show on Thursday night, later wrote on social media: 'If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.'
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump orders release of Epstein ‘transcripts'
US President Donald Trump has promised to release more information after criticism of his administration's handling of the sex trafficking case involving the late financier Jeffrey Epstein reached a tipping point. After months of pledges to disclose the full case files, the US Department of Justice said in a memo on Sunday that no further documents would be made public – triggering backlash even among some of Trump's closest supporters. '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,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. 'This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!' Bondi confirmed that her office is 'ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts,' though it remains unclear which documents would be released or when. Epstein was arrested in 2019 and charged with trafficking minors for sex. He allegedly hanged himself in his New York jail cell before standing trial. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted of conspiring to sexually abuse underage girls and is now serving a 20-year sentence. Although Epstein's death was officially ruled a suicide, it has long fueled public skepticism. The DOJ's controversial review concluded that no 'client list' of Epstein's sex-trafficking ring ever existed and found no evidence of blackmail. There were no grounds to investigate uncharged third parties, the memo stated. These findings appeared to contradict Bondi's earlier comments that the client list was 'sitting on [her] desk,' and that the FBI had turned over a 'truckload' of materials that would 'make you sick.' During a government meeting on Tuesday, she walked back those remarks, clarifying that she was referring to case files on her desk in general. She also dismissed concerns about a one-minute gap in the 11-hour surveillance video recorded near Epstein's jail cell. Trump ordered the release of additional documents after the Wall Street Journal published a report accusing him of sending a birthday greeting to Epstein in 2003 that allegedly featured a crude drawing of a nude woman. The president has denied the claim and threatened to sue Rupert Murdoch and what he called his 'third-rate newspaper' for defamation.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
A Timeline of What We Know About Trump and Epstein
By his own admission, President Trump was friendly for at least 15 years with Jeffrey Epstein, the multimillionaire financier and convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019. Their relationship is now under scrutiny after the Trump administration decided to withhold parts of the files from the sex trafficking investigation into Mr. Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Mr. Epstein had many connections to rich and powerful people that both the right and the left suspect of being involved in the financier's criminality. Attorney General Pam Bondi agreed to release some materials, including flight logs from Mr. Epstein's private jets, but she held back others, including what officials described as child sexual abuse material. The Department of Justice's review of the files 'revealed no incriminating 'client list,'' the department wrote in an unsigned July memo. 'There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.' Mr. Trump has instructed Ms. Bondi to release only 'credible' information, and suggested he is concerned that innocent people could be unfairly smeared if the full files are released. He has condemned questions about his handling of the case as a 'hoax' perpetrated by Democrats and called Mr. Epstein a 'creep.' Mr. Epstein was convicted of paying teenage girls money to perform sex acts. He hanged himself in his cell in 2019, according to local and federal authorities. Ms. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 of conspiring with Mr. Epstein for nearly a decade to aid in his abuse. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ghislaine Maxwell breaks silence with bombshell claim after Trump closes Epstein case
Ghislaine Maxwell 's family broke their silence to insist she is innocent and was subjected to 'government misconduct' in an unscrupulous effort to blame someone for Jeffrey Epstein 's crimes after he died. President Donald Trump and his Attorney General Pam Bondi ar e facing MAGA mutiny amid claims they botched an investigation into Epstein's laundry list of crimes. Epstein's right-hand woman is serving 20 years in prison for sex trafficking offenses tied to the billionaire financier's crimes. But Bondi maintains that after years of rampant speculation, there is no evidence Epstein ever held a 'client list' implicating high-profile associates. Maxwell was convicted in 2021, two years after Epstein was found dead in his cell while awaiting trial for child sex offenses. Her family now maintain 'our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial', claiming prosecutors stopped at nothing to convict her due to the public's appetite for her to face justice on Epstein's behalf after his death. According to the family's statement, Maxwell is prepared to 'file a writ of habeas corpus' which would 'allow her to challenge her imprisonment.' This challenge would be 'on the basis of new evidence such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome.' The family argue that Maxwell should have been protected under an agreement Epstein entered with the Department of Justice in 2007, in which they vowed not to prosecute any of his co-conspirators after he 'paid fines, paid "victims" millions of dollars and served 13 months in Prison.' Counsel representing Maxwell, David Oscar Marcus, said: 'I'd be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal. 'He's the ultimate dealmaker - and I'm sure he'd agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it. 'With all the talk about who's being prosecuted and who isn't, it's especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the US government made and broke.' The family said they 'profoundly concur' with Marcus' comments. The controversial deal stated if 'Epstein successfully fulfills all of the terms and conditions of this agreement, the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to' four of Epstein's assistants.' This did not name Maxwell specifically. But the 2007 deal applied only to the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida. Prosecutors found a loophole in which they were able to target Maxwell in New York, which treats such agreements differently to the vast majority of American states. 'Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers are asking the Court to resolve this difference between the Districts,' a filing seen by states. The family wants Maxwell's sentence to be vacated and for her to be referred for resentencing, accusing the court of also 'applying an incorrect guideline range and offense level.' The Maxwell family's comments come at a time of hightened interest in the case after Bondi's memo shut down long-held theories of an Epstein client list. But Maxwell's brother Ian told The Spectator that she has always denied any such list existed, saying his family was not surprised by Bondi's admission. 'My sister has always maintained there was never such a thing. It never existed,' he said. 'If you prick a conspiracy the balloon goes down and people wonder why they've been fooled.' He called out Elon Musk and other high-profile social media influencers for giving 'tremendous currency' to conspiracy theories about the list, ultimately giving it 'a life of its own' that was always going to become a thorn in Trump's side. 'They've reached the end of the road, it's finished, for what it's worth I think the President would be pleased they've concluded that,' he said. MAGA loyalists had long theorized that Epstein did not kill himself in his cell, but this was also rubbished by Bondi's memo, in which she ruled out any foul play. Maxwell (pictured with Prince Andrew and accuser Virginia Giuffre) was convicted in 2021 , two years after Epstein was found dead in his cell while awaiting trial for child sex offense Ian Maxwell said he statement has not changed his sister's opinion. She has long believed he was murdered. 'I think there is more substance to different and opposing views, that he was murdered,' Ian said. 'That is, and remains, my sister's view for what it's worth.' Ian said while 'people seem to think this involves som James Bond figure slipping into the prison' he suggested a separate theory entirely. 'It seems to preclude another way in which that may have happened - him actually paying someone in prison to kill him. Suicide by internal killing.'
