Latest news with #Newsmax
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ghislaine Maxwell is not a victim. And if she is pardoned, it won't be for the sake of justice
Roll up! Roll up! The Ghislaine Maxwell Rehabilitation Tour is coming to town. You may think Jeffrey Epstein's associate and former girlfriend is now behind bars for good reason but, according to some big brains in the Maga-sphere, poor old Maxwell may have suffered a terrible miscarriage of justice. Maxwell 'just might be a victim', Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly mused on air recently. 'She just might be. There was a rush to judgment … All right, granted, she hung out with Jeffrey Epstein, and I know that's apparently not good, but she's in jail. For how long now? Twenty years.' To discuss this further, Kelly brought on Alan Dershowitz, whom he introduced as 'one of the greatest attorneys who ever lived'. Which certainly isn't how I'd describe the retired Harvard professor. Dershowitz, who helped procure a lenient plea deal for Epstein in 2008, also wrote an op-ed for the LA Times in 1997 headlined Statutory Rape Is an Outdated Concept, in which he argued 15 seems 'appropriate' for the age of consent. Dershowitz suggested some 'reasonable people' might even favour 14 – which happens to be the age of some of Epstein's victims. When that op-ed resurfaced in 2019, after Epstein's arrest, Dershowitz defended it, saying he stood by 'the constitutional (not moral) argument' offered. Dershowitz now reckons Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on five counts of aiding Epstein in his abuse of underage girls and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022, has suffered enough. 'She shouldn't have been in jail for five years for what she is alleged to have done,' Dershowitz told Newsmax on Sunday. 'She served more time than anybody has ever served for any comparable offence.' I'm sure I don't need to spell out why others seem to be attempting to rebrand Maxwell as the victim of a stitch-up. The Epstein files have turned into a disaster of Trump's own making. He hasn't been able to distract people from the story, so now there is speculation that he is trying to make some sort of deal with Maxwell. Who, by the way, had secretive conversations with Trump's department of justice last week and, on Monday, asked the supreme court to overturn her conviction, saying she was unjustly prosecuted. One can imagine a scenario in which Maxwell releases a few select details about Epstein that absolve Trump and make his enemies look bad in exchange for a pardon. ('I'm allowed to give her a pardon but nobody's approached me with it,' Trump said on Monday.) However, for that hypothetical strategy to be successful, Maxwell's reputation needs to be rehabilitated. She would need to look like a victim rather than a monster. Which is where Newsmax, and its sudden interest in Maxwell, might help. The cable news channel, which is to the right of Fox News, is essentially a pro-Trump propaganda outlet with strong financial ties to the president. Earlier this month the outlet announced that it had struck a deal for the Trump Media and Technology Group Corp to stream Newsmax on its platform. Which obviously raises a lot of conflict-of-interest questions. 'This is now the Trump network,' one Newsmax insider complained to the Independent last week. 'Even the most conservative people at Newsmax think it's a terrible look and they feel like state-run media.' Also raising questions is the fact that Alex Acosta, the prosecutor who gave Epstein that plea deal in 2008, happens to be on the board of Newsmax. I don't know what will happen next with Maxwell, but I can tell you that I absolutely believe the women Epstein abused over anchors on Trump's propaganda channel. And I believe those women over Maxwell herself. Epstein's accusers have repeatedly been clear that Maxwell was no victim. 'She didn't just procure girls for Epstein – she participated in their abuse,' accuser Annie Farmer told ABC News on Monday. Now it's looking increasingly likely that, instead of releasing the Epstein files, Trump will release Maxwell instead. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Conservatives divided on value of Ghislaine Maxwell testimony
Republicans are divided on the value of Ghislaine Maxwell as she takes center stage in the Jeffrey Epstein files saga. Some view the convicted sex trafficker as the key to unlocking additional information about the Epstein enigma — such as revealing high-powered abusers of young women who have not faced legal consequences for their crimes, or secret arrangements Epstein had that enabled his abuse. But others warn that Maxwell, who was complicit in the abuse and previously faced perjury charges (on which she was not convicted), is not a reliable witness and deserves no special treatment. Hanging over Maxwell's discussion with the Department of Justice and the House Oversight Committee's subpoena of Maxwell is her desire for a pardon or commutation. President Trump hasn't ruled out a pardon for Maxwell, but hasn't indicated he is considering one, either. Trump said Monday that 'I'm allowed to give her' a pardon, but 'nobody's approached me.' Some conservatives are slowly cracking the door to that possibility. Newsmax host Greg Kelly suggested last week that Maxwell 'just might be a victim.' 'Maybe she never deserved to be in there [prison] in the first place …. Prosecutors prosecuted President Trump over nothing. I don't know, but I'm skeptical of everything and everybody these days,' Kelly said. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has emerged as a top GOP Trump antagonist in Congress and is pushing to force a vote on a bipartisan measure to direct the DOJ to release more Epstein material, expressed openness to a Maxwell pardon or commutation on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday. 'That would be up to the president. But if she has information that could help us, then I think she should testify. Let's get that out there. And whatever they need to do to compel that testimony, as long as it's truthful, I would be in favor of,' Massie said. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), on the other hand, has emerged as one of the most prominent figure urging caution when considering those kinds of sweeteners for Maxwell testimony. 'If you're asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least,' Johnson said Sunday, also on 'Meet the Press.' 'It's hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing … So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would,' Johnson said. Trump-supporting commentator Jack Posobiec has also raised skepticism about Maxwell, saying her motive is very clear in wanting to reduce her sentence or get a full pardon. Maxell, he said, 'needs to provide receipts and names' 'If Ghislane Maxwell wants anything from the Department of Justice, there need to be names, there needs to be receipts … Who did what, where did it happen and you also have to provide information that is able to back up the credibility of the accusation,' Posobiec said last week. Maxwell has already sat for a two-day interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and was reportedly granted limited immunity before doing so. Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Markus, said in a statement to NewsNation on Friday that it was a 'thorough, comprehensive interview.' 'No person and no topic were off-limits. We are very grateful. The truth will come out,' Markus said. Blanche said the department would share more information 'at the appropriate time.' Maxwell on Monday formally appealed to the Supreme Court in hopes of overturning her conviction. The Justice Department has opposed her appeal. Often left out of the flurry of Epstein drama over the last few weeks are the effects of the developments on Epstein's victims. Independent journalist Tara Palmeri, who has reported extensively on the Epstein case over the years, reported that survivors of the abuse from Epstein and Maxwell feel betrayed by the Justice Department and others going to her. 'It's very backhanded. Why don't they go to the survivors? Why is she being called the Rosetta Stone? The victims know everything too. They were eyewitnesses,' Marijke Chartouni, one of Epstein's survivors,said in Palmeri's 'The Red Letter.' Further reading: Todd Blanche takes the helm of Ghislaine Maxwell talks, from my colleagues Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee in their newsletter, The Gavel. Welcome to The Movement, a weekly newsletter looking at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. I'm Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill. Tell me what's on your radar: ebrooks@ Not already on the list? Subscribe here A wave of conservative scrutiny is crashing on a key FDA official: Vinay Prasad, the FDA's chief medical and scientific officer and the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. It started with conservative provocateur Laura Loomer, who has spent months digging up dirt on Trump administration appointees to raise alarm about what she calls a 'vetting crisis' that is putting Trump antagonists in positions of power. Prasad, Loomer said, is a 'progressive leftist saboteur undermining President Trump's FDA' — highlighting his self-described support for progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Wall Street Journal editorial board member Allysia Finley expanded on that criticism in an opinion piece on Monday that dubbed Prasad a ' Bernie Sanders Acolyte in MAHA Drag.' She criticized the FDA for in recent weeks for rejecting disease therapies, and noted Prasad's previous stated skepticism of the 'Right to Try' law — which Trump signed in his first term — that is intended to allow terminally ill patients wider access to drugs not yet approved by the FDA. The irony is that Prasad has also gotten praise from the 'Make America Healthy Again' crowd over his stances and policies on COVID vaccines. Robert Goldberg, vice president of The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, noted that phenomenon while slamming Prasad in RealClear Health. 'A few vaccine-hesitant soundbites and critiques of lockdowns, and suddenly he's portrayed as a maverick ally of the populist right. But don't be fooled,' Goldberg wrote. Some on the right, though, are suspicious of ulterior motives behind the wave of criticism. Daily Caller reporter Emily Kopp noted the criticism of Prasad coincides with the FDA asking drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics to stop distribution of its therapy for a muscle-wasting disease after three patients on its therapy or a similar one died. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, for his part, defended Prasad when asked about Loomer's attacks in a Politico's podcast The Conversation with Dasha Burns that premiered Sunday. 'Look, there's not a political bone to his body,' Makary said. 'He's an impeccable scientist. I think one of the greatest scientific minds of our generation.' TARIFF TOLD-YOU-SOS Defenders of President Trump's tariff strategy are doing a big round of I-told-you-so on the heels of a tariff agreement with the European Union announced over the weekend. The deal came ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline for the president's tariff increases to kick in unless countries strike a deal with the U.S. — tariffs that rocked financial markets after 'Liberation Day' in April, but have been met by a much calmer Wall Street ahead of this deadline, CNBC reports. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted on X on Sunday: 'Where are the 'experts' now?' Circulating rapidly in conservative circles is a clip from liberal commentator Bill Maher saying 'I would have thought — and I gotta own it — that these tariffs were going to f—ing sink this economy by this time — and they didn't.' For Republicans, the tariff deal is feeding into their narrative of Trump being underestimated and beating the odds. 'The experts mocked him. The media laughed. Democrats panicked. But President Trump reshaped global trade, and WON for America,' Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) posted on X. The EU-US deal includes a 15 percent tariff on European exports including autos; an agreement for the EU to buy $750 billion worth of American energy; and no EU tariffs on certain American exports including aircraft and some generic drugs, per the New York Times. ON MY CALENDAR Wednesday, July 30: Breitbart News hosts a discussion with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, co-sponsored by the Alfa Institute and CGCN, at 9:30am. Wednesday, July 30: The Cato Institute hosts discussion on the impact of tariffs on wine and whiskey — followed by a wine and whiskey tasting — featuring Scott Lincicome, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) at 4 p.m. Monday, August 25 to Thursday, August 28: State Policy Network Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La. THREE MORE THINGS Tiffany Justice is the new national grassroots leader at Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the conservative think tank, the group is announcing today. She was a co-founder at Moms for Liberty and as a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, launched the group's Parental Rights Initiative and founded the Parental Rights Network. Kevin Roberts, president of Heritage Action and the Heritage Foundation, called Justice a 'force or nature' in the announcement; Justice said she aims to 'unite Americans around commonsense, conservative solutions that strengthen families, protect freedoms, and deliver real results.' 2028 watch: Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to endorse Vice President JD Vance in a potential 2028 run — a notable statement given President Trump once listed both Rubio and Vance as people who could lead the MAGA movement after he leaves office. In an interview on Fox News's 'My View with Lara Trump,' Rubio said: 'I think JD Vance would be a great nominee … if he decides he wants to do that.' Israel-Gaza divide: There's a fissure emerging among some of the loudest personalities in the House GOP over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza — or even recognizing that there is one. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) notably decried the situation on X on Monday: 'I can unequivocally say that what happened to innocent people in Israel on Oct 7th was horrific. Just as I can unequivocally say that what has been happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific. This war and humanitarian crisis must end!' But Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.), on the other hand, claimed in a post on X on Sunday: 'There is no starvation. Everything about the 'Palestinian' cause is a lie.' WHAT I'M READING
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newsmax star defends Alex Acosta's sweetheart plea deal for Epstein — but ignores the network's conflict of interest
Newsmax may have its own Jeffrey Epstein problem. Over the course of the past week, its MAGA-boosting host Greg Kelly has repeatedly gone to bat for Alex Acosta, the former federal prosecutor who negotiated the secret so-called 'sweetheart' plea deal with Epstein in 2008 the Justice Department later said was made in 'poor judgment.' Throughout multiple primetime segments, Kelly has described Acosta – who resigned as President Donald Trump's Labor Secretary in 2019 amid renewed scrutiny of the Epstein plea agreement – as a 'nice guy' and 'great individual' who was only targeted by liberals to 'embarrass' Trump by 'rebooting' the Epstein story. Kelly on Monday night suggested Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell didn't deserve her lengthy prison sentence while claiming Acosta was the victim of 'fake news' because 'it wasn't a sweetheart deal' he handed Epstein. Left unsaid in Kelly's efforts to rehabilitate Acosta's reputation, amid the current uproar over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein case, is that the former secretary now sits on the board of directors for Newsmax. In a press release last month that was flagged by Media Matters, the MAGA network announced Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky had been appointed to the company's board, and joined Acosta, who had joined as a board member following the closing of the network's initial public offering in March. 'We are delighted to officially welcome Secretary Acosta and announce the addition of Ambassador Dobriansky to our Board of Directors,' Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy said at the time. 'Their exceptional backgrounds in public service, regulatory policy and international affairs will provide valuable perspectives as we continue to execute our growth strategy and deliver trusted news to the American people and countries around the world.' Besides noting Acosta's time as Secretary of Labor during the first Trump administration, the network's press release also highlighted his time as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which is where he struck the controversial plea deal with Epstein. Under the 2008 non-prosecution agreement – also known as an NPA – Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work-release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender. A Newsmax spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Kelly's lack of disclosure about Acosta's role with the company. Following the DOJ's two-page July 6 memo concluding that Epstein died by suicide and didn't keep a 'client list' to blackmail prominent figures, the administration has faced a MAGA uproar and continuing calls for the full release of the so-called Epstein files. This has also resulted in a divide within right-wing media on how to best cover the ongoing fallout. After the president began ordering his 'boys' and 'gals' to stop focusing on the late sex predator because the Epstein case was a 'hoax,' Fox News pulled back on its coverage. Newsmax then poked fun at what it called the 'terrified' network for not wanting to 'p*ss off' Trump while claiming the Murdoch-owned channel has 'been essentially mandated not to talk about' Epstein. As the network's hosts have mocked Fox for appearing to ignore the Epstein affair, especially now the president is suing Rupert Murdoch over the Wall Street Journal's bombshell report claiming Trump wrote a 'bawdy' birthday card for Epstein, Kelly has crafted his own counter-narrative to downplay the dead sex offender's crimes. And this has resulted in the pro-Trump anchor running a defense for the network's board member. Trump has strongly denied he ever wrote or drew anything for the Epstein card. After spending the first few days of the current Epstein saga pondering whether 'Epstein is a patriot' and if this was the reason Acosta negotiated a non-prosecution agreement that saw the financier serve just 13 months in jail while shutting down an FBI probe into more potential sex crimes, Kelly began suggesting Acosta was unfairly maligned. Kelly has claimed Julie K. Brown, the Miami Herald reporter whose deep-dive investigation into Epstein in 2018 and the 'deal of a lifetime' he received from Acosta brought renewed interest in the case, 'rebooted' the story in an effort to take down Trump. 'The Epstein story was rebooted because they wanted to embarrass the Labor Secretary,' he stated last Monday. 'You remember it was anything, anything you could get on Trump.' After saying that Epstein was 'not the only one who got a sweetheart deal,' Kelly would later move the goalposts and declare that the light sentence the convicted sex offender received actually wasn't abnormal at all. 'Alex Acosta was gone; he had to resign because that was the game the Deep State was playing,' Kelly bemoaned on Wednesday before adding: 'President Trump won't let that happen again and it's kind of awesome to see!' During a lengthy segment on Monday evening, Kelly spun an intricate tale that not only saw Acosta as a full-fledged victim but also suggested both Maxwell and Epstein were essentially railroaded. 'Well, that's horrible and wrong and disgusting, but also happened a very long time ago. 2002 to 2005. This is in 2019 when he was arrested,' Kelly said, describing the DOJ's 2019 charges against Epstein. 'And if anybody actually looks at the indictment, it's suspiciously a long time ago.' Saying it's 'not the case' that Epstein was 'running a sex operation', Kelly then said about Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence: 'Maybe she deserves it. Maybe she doesn't.' He then turned back towards Acosta's role in the plea bargain and argued that he acted appropriately. 'There had to be a Trump angle. Acosta was appointed Labor Secretary by President Trump. He was in a courtroom in 2008 with Epstein,' he proclaimed. 'I already went through it. It wasn't a sweetheart deal, not compared to similar sex crimes.' Kelly also insisted that Acosta didn't resign 'in disgrace,' asserting that Trump knew his departing secretary 'was getting screwed' and that he liked that the president 'showed up' for Acosta. At the time of his resignation, Acosta defended his work as the federal prosecutor in Florida's southern district, saying in his 'heart we were trying to do the right thing for these victims' and that 'we believe that we proceeded appropriately.' In a televised appearance alongside Acosta, Trump stated that the secretary had called him and offered to resign, claiming the controversy had become a distraction for the administration. 'He made a deal [with Epstein] that people are happy with, and then 12 years later, they are not happy with it. You'll have to figure all of that out,' Trump declared, calling him a 'fantastic secretary of labor.' One network staffer told The Independent that it wasn't shocking to see the lengths that Kelly would go to rehabilitate the image of the former Trump administration official and current Newsmax board member. 'After all, this is now the Trump network,' the staffer snarked, referencing the recent announcement that Newsmax had partnered with Trump Media & Technology Group to launch a TV streaming platform. 'Some people are very upset about partnering with Trump,' another Newsmax insider noted. 'Even the most conservative people at Newsmax think it's a terrible look and they feel like state-run media.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock-Split Watch: Is Newsmax (NMAX) Next?
Key Points Newsmax has been extremely volatile since its IPO in March. It's probably not in stock-split territory unless there's a dramatic change in its share price. Financial losses and legal issues make Newsmax a risky investment. 10 stocks we like better than Newsmax › Conservative media company Newsmax (NYSE: NMAX) has taken investors on a wild ride in its first few months on the stock market. Shares were priced at $10 for the company's initial public offering (IPO) on March 31, 2025, but rocketed as high as $265 a day later. Most of those gains have since been wiped out, as the stock trades at about $14 at the time of this writing on July 21. Dramatic gains or losses are sometimes a precursor to a stock split. Let's examine why companies split their stocks and see if that's a move to expect from Newsmax anytime soon. The mechanics of a stock split When a company conducts a forward stock split, the number of outstanding shares increases, while the share price decreases by a proportional amount, leaving the company with the same overall value. For example, if a company that's trading at $1,000 a share conducts a 10-for-1 stock split, the number of shares is multiplied by 10. For every one share an investor holds, they receive an additional nine shares. The share price is divided by 10, bringing it down to $100. So, if you owned one share valued at $1,000 to start, after the split you own 10 shares valued at a total of $1,000. A forward stock split is generally considered a good sign. The company's share price has gotten high enough to warrant a split, and by lowering the share price, the company could increase trading volumes and attract more investors. There's also a reverse stock split, which works in the opposite fashion. The number of shares decreases, and the share price increases. Imagine a company that's trading at $5 per share conducts a 1-for-5 reverse split. Investors would receive one share for every five shares they previously owned, and the share price would increase to $25. Unlike forward splits, reverse splits aren't a positive development. Companies normally conduct reverse splits when their share prices have dropped too much, and their stock is in danger of being delisted from its exchange. Will Newsmax stock be the next to split? If Newsmax had kept its positive momentum going, it may have eventually decided to split its stock as its price would have been skyrocketing. But with how much the share price has dropped, a forward stock split isn't going to happen. A reverse stock split could be a possibility if Newsmax falls even further. It's not in any danger of being delisted -- the New York Stock Exchange only requires companies to maintain a share price of at least $1 -- but a low share price (under $10) can be a red flag for investors. Considering that Newsmax went public fairly recently, it will probably want to avoid spooking investors with a reverse split. Its share price is still fine for the moment, although this company isn't exactly on the firmest footing. Newsmax stock is a risky investment Even at Newsmax's current share price, it's far from "on sale." With $171 million in revenue last year and a market cap of $1.9 billion, it's trading at a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of about 11. Fox, the parent company of its biggest competitor, trades at 1.5 times last year's sales. To Newsmax's credit, its revenue was up 26% year over year in 2024. But it also lost $72 million, 73% worse than its losses in 2023. Newsmax leans heavily to the right politically, an approach that can draw a large base of loyal viewers. Viewership numbers seem to indicate that the strategy is working. In Q1 2025, Newsmax's audience grew by 50% year over year to 33.6 million viewers. The news company's management has also landed distribution deals that should continue to grow its audience. It inked deals with YouTube TV last year and Hulu+ Live TV in May. Newsmax is also a flagship channel on President Donald Trump's streaming platform, Truth+. While Newsmax is appealing to conservative viewers, some stories have landed the company in hot water. Most notably, voting systems suppliers Dominion and Smartmatic sued Newsmax for defamation regarding election fraud stories in 2020. Newsmax agreed to pay $40 million to Smartmatic last year, but the Dominion lawsuit is still ongoing. A similar result would be another sizable hit to Newsmax's bottom line. Newsmax stock is volatile, and being that it's a young stock, projecting where it will go from here is challenging. The odds of an upcoming forward stock split are almost nil, and a reverse split isn't likely, barring a serious decline. It could rebound if it's able to start shrinking its losses and if it avoids further legal issues, but it's not a company I'd invest in at the moment. Should you buy stock in Newsmax right now? Before you buy stock in Newsmax, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Newsmax wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Stock-Split Watch: Is Newsmax (NMAX) Next? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Major broadcaster is slammed for calling Ghislaine Maxwell a VICTIM
Newsmax Anchor Greg Kelly has been ridiculed after saying he believes Ghislaine Maxwell 'might be a victim'. Speaking on Greg Kelly Reports the longtime Trump loyalist portrayed Maxwell as a sympathetic figure, w hile discussing the crisis around the Jeffrey Epstein files, despite her conviction on child sex trafficking and exploitation. Kelly was talking about Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche two-day meeting with Maxwell to discuss the case. '[Maxwell] has also been subpoenaed by the oversight committee, I think this is great. I do have a feeling that she just might be a victim, she just might be,' Kelly said. 'There was a rush to judgement there was a lot of chaos there for a while, granted she hung out with Jeffrey Epstein, and I know that's apparently not good.' Maxwell is serving 20 years behind bars on child sex trafficking charges for her role in helping Epstein exploit and abuse multiple minors over the course of a decade. Epstein's victims alleged they were procured by Maxwell and passed around his billionaire friends and associates who regularly visited his homes, which included his private island. He was found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide while awaiting trial. Kelly's remarks have been circulated on social media where they were roundly slammed. Ghislaine Maxwell is serving 20 years behind bars on child sex trafficking charges for her role in helping Epstein procure victims One person commented: 'Just when you don't think they can be more depraved then they prove you wrong.' Maxwell reached out to the Department of Justice to set up the meetings with Blanche, ABC News reported. She apparently requested what's known as 'proffer immunity' so that anything she revealed couldn't be used against her at a later date. It is provided to people under investigation or facing charges to determine the value of a possible witness. Maxwell has already been tried and convicted. Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus said after her questioning: 'There have been no asks and no promises.' Many believe Maxwell appears to be angling for a pardon from President Donald Trump after she 'didn't hold back' during questioning. She completed a second day of interviews with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday afternoon. Markus claimed that his client spoke with Blanche about '100 different people' in relation to Epstein's alleged child sex trafficking ring. He also said Maxwell is being used as the 'scapegoat' in the entire Epstein case and has been 'treated unfairly for the past five years '. Her attorney said that they had not put in a formal request with the White House for a pardon for Maxwell after the conclusion of the second day of questioning. But Markus did not rule out taking that action in the future, saying 'things are happening so quickly.' 'The president said earlier he has the power to do so, we hope he exercises that power in the right way,' he said of a potential commutation. Trump refused to rule out invoking his presidential pardon powers for Maxwell saying: 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I haven't thought about.' CNN's Maggie Haberman appeared on Friday night's The Source with Kaitlan Collins stating that if Trump did so, he would 'infuriate the MAGA base'.
