Latest news with #OathKeepers
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell plays model inmate as she seeks path out of prison
As Jeffrey Epstein's most notorious accomplice and former girlfriend is angling to have her criminal conviction dropped, a look at Ghislaine Maxwell's life behind bars could offer clues about her motivations outside of prison. Maxwell has reportedly rebranded herself while serving out her two-decades-long sentence for her involvement in Epstein's sex crimes. "I did a double take, because I recognized her face immediately from the news," Jessica Watkins, a former Oath Keeper who was imprisoned in the same low-security Florida facility as Maxwell, told the Daily Mail. "I was like, 'Is that who I think it is?'" Watkins was initially sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for her involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Her sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office earlier this year. "My friend who was with me was like, 'I don't know - who is it?'" Watkins said. "I caught her up on the situation. Started asking around and it was definitely her." She and Maxwell would converse regularly — often while the pair were exercising in the open-air prison yard — with Maxwell only bringing up her case on occasion, Watkins told the outlet. "We don't talk about cases as inmates because people will think you're a snitch," Watkins explained. "It's an unspoken rule among inmates. You don't ask." However, Watkins reportedly could only recall one time when Maxwell mentioned Epstein. "She did say that the DOJ had no interest in her until after, her exact words were until after Jeffrey, and then she paused for a second and said 'died,'" Watkins said. "That was the only time he ever came up." During the pair's time together in prison, Watkins noticed Maxwell "didn't seem unduly worried" while behind bars, adding, "She seemed very at ease, very calm and approachable." Her reportedly calm demeanor makes sense to former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, who was elected into office six years after Epstein's case concluded. "The other inmates know who she is and why she's behind bars," Aronberg told Fox News Digital. "I'm sure a lot of the other inmates have their hands out. They want the commissary money. They want a free education from her, whatever she can provide." While in prison, Maxwell offers legal advice and classes to her fellow inmates, often helping individuals access the necessary forms related to their case and working in the law library, according to Watkins. "She was very concerned about peoples' medical well-being," Watkins said. "So she did have that kind side to her." She also reportedly focused her free time on reading books, working on her own case or working out — foregoing the prison's television privileges. However, her work behind bars could indicate an attempt to win over her fellow inmates' favor while leveraging her educational background, according to Aronberg. "She had status when she was not behind bars," Aronberg said. "She took that into the prison facility with her, and she is using that." Watkins also described how she and Maxwell found a friendship in their choice to not partake in drug use while locked up. "We avoided most of the inmates [because] they were high all the time, and we didn't want to be around that," Watkins told The Daily Mail. "[Maxwell] would gravitate towards people who were also sober." Watkins' attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Maxwell's reported decision to not use recreational drugs while in prison could be a larger move to remain out of trouble while she makes a bid for freedom, according to Aronberg. "An inmate's good behavior won't impact their ability to get a new trial," Aronberg told Fox News Digital. "But it does impact their ability to get clemency." Aronberg pointed to Maxwell's two days of meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week, as President Donald Trump commented on his ability to hand the convicted criminal a pardon. "This is a convicted sex trafficker," Aronberg said. "This is someone who committed sexual assault on minors. This is someone who is indicted for perjury. And yet, she got a private audience with the No. 2 person at the DOJ. Had she been less of a model prisoner behind bars, perhaps the administration wouldn't be rushing to meet with her and believe her in what she's saying." Blanche spent nearly two days at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee interviewing Maxwell, who answered questions "about 100 different people," according to her attorney. "She never invoked a privilege," David Oscar Markus told reporters on Thursday. "She never refused to answer a question, so we're very proud of her." The talks come as a House committee subpoenaed Maxwell to testify in a congressional deposition over her knowledge of the scope of Epstein's crimes, while lawmakers continue to demand the DOJ hands over files related to the case. However, Aronberg urges caution from federal prosecutors when taking Maxwell's words at face-value. "If you're a model prisoner behind bars, then prosecutors are more likely to believe that you really are trying to do the right thing, you're reformed and you are telling the truth this time around," Aronberg said. "But it's hard to ignore the fact that she is a liar." On Monday, Maxwell's legal team submitted a brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her appeal of her federal sex trafficking conviction, citing the government's "obligation to honor" an agreement struck by Epstein that should have shielded Maxwell from any criminal charges. Federal prosecutors have argued the deal only applied in Florida, ultimately ruling out Maxwell's case in New York. "No one is above the law — not even the Southern District of New York," Markus said in a statement. "Our government made a deal, and it must honor it. The United States cannot promise immunity with one hand in Florida and prosecute with the other in New York." Markus went on to appeal to Trump, who has previously said he has the power to pardon Maxwell but has "not thought about" doing so. "President Trump built his legacy in part on the power of a deal—and surely he would agree that when the United States gives its word, it must stand by it," Markus said. "We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the President himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted." The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein's scheme to sexually abuse numerous young girls. She is anticipated to testify under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison she is currently serving her sentence in. "Jeffrey Epstein could not do what he did without Ghislaine Maxwell," Aronberg said. "She's no victim. She is the devil's accomplice."
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oath Keepers Founder Pardoned By Trump Warns Of ‘Trouble' Over Lack Of Epstein Files
The founder of a violent militia group who was pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by President Donald Trump, warned that Trump faces 'trouble' over not releasing documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right group the Oath Keepers, has joined a growing chorus of MAGA voices who have expressed anger that Trump hasn't released more information about Epstein, the disgraced financier who killed himself in 2019 before he was set to face trial for sex crimes. 'I believe 90% of his own base understands that Epstein was up to something and we know that's the tip of the iceberg,' Rhodes told a crowd at a Comfort Inn in Texas last week, the Daily Beast first reported on Tuesday. Rhodes was referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi's announcement earlier this month that documents related to Epstein ― including potential information on his co-conspirators ― don't exist. Trump, a longtime friend of Epstein, has blamed Democrats over what he calls a 'hoax.' 'It's really disheartening to see President Trump just declare that to be a hoax,' Rhodes said. 'I don't think it is. And I think it's going to cause him trouble in his own base. It already is.' Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 attack and was pardoned by Trump along with more than 1,500 other rioters. Rhodes and his fellow Oath Keepers had planned to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election by any means necessary, including using an arsenal of guns that they brought from across the country if Trump had invoked the Insurrection Act that day. Trump falsely claimed his poll numbers have 'gone up, significantly' following the lack of Epstein files. 'My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain 'troublemakers,'' Trump wrote Sunday on his social media platform Truth Social. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) canceled upcoming House votes on Tuesday and is sending lawmakers home early for a five-week recess to block a bipartisan effort to force a vote on releasing files on Epstein. On Tuesday, Trump again downplayed his role with Epstein. 'We had the Greatest Six Months of any President in the History of our Country, and all the Fake News wants to talk about is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax!' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Axios
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Oath Keepers founder freed by Trump warns of more Epstein pain
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, warned that President Trump's dismissal of what he's dubbed the "Jeffrey Epstein Hoax" will cause "trouble" in the MAGA world. Why it matters: The alarm bells from a man who whose sentence was commuted through Trump's sweeping Jan. 6 clemency echo those from other prominent supporters of the president and MAGA-friendly voices. Rhodes was found guilty of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2023 for his role in the deadly Capitol riot. But he was released from prison earlier this year after the president commuted his sentence in a wave of roughly 1,500 pardons and 14 commutations. Driving the news: "I believe 90% of his own base understands that Epstein was up to something, and we know that's the tip of the iceberg," Rhodes told a group at a Texas event earlier this month, the Daily Beast first reported. He later added, "It's really disheartening to see President Trump just declare that to be a hoax. I don't think it is. And I think it's going to cause him trouble in his own base. It already is." But he also spoke fondly of the president, who he said set him "free." By the numbers: Beyond podcasters' and public figures' opinions, recent polling from Quinnipiac University found that 63% of voters don't approve of the administration's handling of the case. Republicans appeared split, with with 40% approving and 35% disapproving. What they're saying: Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogerssaid that "instead of covering the real news, AXIOS is embarrassingly regurgitating leftwing stories that no Americans care about." She continued, "President Trump is historically popular with the Republican base because he has delivered win after win." Zoom out: In the midst of pervasive headaches over his administration's handling of evidence of the disgraced financier's case, Trump said his attorney general should release"credible" evidence — though he's continued to rage against a so-called "hoax" that his "PAST supporters have bought" into. Some members of the MAGA movement did not take so kindly to that rhetoric. Amid mounting pressure, Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi last week to seek the release of grand jury testimony. But even then, he wrote, "This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" Fighting against the so-called "deep state" is foundational to the MAGA movement, Axios' Tal Axelrod reports, noting the president and his allies stoked the Epstein coals on the right for years. What he's saying: Rhodes — suggesting Trump was protected from the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting by divine intervention — said he hopes "that he keeps in mind that God saved him for a purpose." "That purpose is to defeat the deep state," he said. "It's not to make great trade deals. It's not to have a great economy. It's not any of that stuff. The real heart and soul of it is to defeat the deep state."
Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ghislaine Maxwell 'is not suicidal' and spends her days behind bars quietly helping educate fellow inmates
's life behind bars has been laid bare by one of her former cellmates. Jessica Watkins - who was imprisoned for her part in the 2020 Capitol riots - said Maxwell, 63, has rebranded herself as a teacher to other inmates. The 42-year-old transgender Army veteran said Jeffrey Epstein's former pal mostly keeps to herself as she serves her 20-year stretch for child sex-trafficking charges. Watkins, a former Oath Keeper, was imprisoned alongside the 63-year-old inside FCI Tallahassee. Maxwell notoriously helped 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 eventually found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide while awaiting trial. Speaking with this week, Watkins said Maxwell mostly kept to herself inside the prison, a low-security facility in the Florida capital where she has modeled herself as a mentor to other jailbirds. It comes after Watkins said she wanted to get 'ahead of potential narratives' about Maxwell, insisting that 'she isn't suicidal in the least.' Recalling the first time she registered the disgraced socialite, Watkins said she had to do a double take to make sure it was her. She said: 'It's an open dorm, it's a big bay full of bunk beds, there is no cells. I walked by and I seen her there. 'I did a double take because I recognized her face immediately from the news. I was like "is that who I think it is?" 'My friend who was with me was like "I don't know - who is it?" I caught her up on the situation. Started asking around and it was definitely her.' Watkins, who had her sentenced commuted in January, said she and Maxwell would go speak several times a week, typically while exercising around the yard. She said that Maxwell brought up her own case a few times and only made one mention of Epstein, her former lover and boss, that she could remember. 'We don't talk about cases as inmates because people will think you're a snitch. It's an unspoken rule among inmates. You don't ask. '[Maxwell] did bring it up a couple times but it was very very hush hush. She didn't talk a lot about it. 'She did say that the DOJ had no interest in her until after, her exact words were until after Jeffrey, and then she paused for a second and said died. That was the only time he ever came up.' According to Watkins, Maxwell came across as being at ease inside prison, adding that she 'didn't seem unduly worried.' She added: 'The open dorm situation is very good. There's like 40 or 50 people around so if anybody tried anything, there's witnesses. She seemed very at ease, very calm and approachable.' Watkins said that anybody involved in child or sex cases is somewhat protected by the authorities. 'If someone is to retaliate against her they catch an entire indictment and can get like 10 years or something. 'I don't think she feared anything from the other inmates. She was also very helpful. She worked in the law library.' In the U.S., correctional facilities offer inmates the resources to access the courts and further understand their legal rights and options with in-house law libraries. Watkins said Maxwell worked inside the one in Tallahassee and provided fellow inmates with the right legal forms and offered advice, even running her own classes. 'She was very concerned about peoples' medical wellbeing and so she did have that kind side to her.' Despite this, Watkins added that Maxwell did make her uneasy, due to her being aware of the nature of her case. She added: '[Maxwell] made me nervous. Anytime she came around she made me nervous - but she was very nice.' Watkins said that outside of helping others with legal cases, Maxwell spent her time working out and reading books constantly - with a taste for classic literature. She never recalled seeing Maxwell with a tablet inside or ever spending time inside the TV room, deciding to work on her case or read instead. Watkins also took aim at the food available to inmates as being 'not fit for human consumption' while saying that she recalled Maxwell eating kosher meals. Maxwell is said to have kept to herself, and had one close friend who Watkins identified only as Lisa. Lisa told others she was a doctor before her prison stint. According to Watkins the facility had problems with drug use among inmates, particularly the prescription opioid Suboxone and crystal meth. Due to this, she said she and Maxwell bonded over not being hooked on the substances. 'We avoided most of the inmates cause they were high all the time and we didn't want to be around that. She would gravitate towards people who were also sober,' Watkins said. 'We walked the track one day and we were trying to calculate how many people were sober in the prison. I think we came up with 12.' The only other details of her private life Maxwell gave out was that her father had worked in the media, according to Watkins. Epstein and Maxwell were previously pictured alongside President Donald Trump, but the former socialite only mentioned the president once, Watkins noted. She said: 'There was something in the news about Trump having Jeffrey Epstein at Mar-a-Lago or something. 'I guess she had done some interview and the media had asked her about President Trump, and she came back and said, "Well, like why are you interested in Trump and not the Clintons?" 'I guess they were far closer, I don't know. It was a passing statement. She never really elaborated on that.' Watkins insisted Maxwell was not suicidal, suggesting she was unlikely to meet the same fate as Epstein, who was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019. At the time of Epstein's death, which was ruled a suicide, he had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His suicide fueled speculation he was assassinated as part of a cover-up to protect other high-profile individuals who were potentially complicit in his crimes. It was later suggested the well-connected financier maintained a list of clients to whom underage girls were trafficked.
Canada News.Net
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Charges against Canadian Army members in anti-government terror plot raise alarms about right-wing extremism
This week, the RCMP arrested four men in Quebec, alleging they were attempting to create an anti-government militia. The RCMP used the umbrella term"Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism" to categorize the suspects. Essentially, this means the RCMP alleges they share violent right-wing ideologies. Their arrests raise questions about whether Canada's problem with right-wing extremism is getting worse. The group is accused of storing explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The RCMP seized all of it, and the four suspects are due to appear in Quebec City court next week. Three are charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, along with weapon-possession offences. The suspects include active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, according to the RCMP. Given the allegations that they were planning terrorist attacks for an extremist militia, the inclusion of army personnel might not be surprising. But it could represent a stark manifestation of a deeply troubling and accelerating trend: the rise of violent right-wing extremism and anti-government or anti-authority radicalization within western democracies. This is a shift dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as many seized the opportunity to spread anti-government ideas based on restricted freedoms. Canada often thinks it's safe from violent movements, but it's becoming more vulnerable. This is especially evident in places like Quebec, where there has been ideological conflict in the past, including the massacre at a Quebec mosque in January 2017. However, the threat is also clear on a national level. According to a Canadian intelligence report, far-right extremist groups actively recruit past and present members of the military and police. There's also a long-running pattern of militia activity in North America. Activities in the United States show how dangerous it is when violent ideologies spread. This includes the nihilistic doctrine of accelerationism, which is a white-supremacist belief that the current state of society cannot be fixed and that the only way to repair it is to destroy and collapse the "system". There are versions of accelerationism on both the right and left. The charges in Quebec shine a spotlight on the global trend of rising right-wing extremism that has been worsening since 2016. In the past decade, white supremacist, anti-government and militia groups have gained traction. That's due in part to online echo chambers, growing political and social divisions and the rise and rapid spread of conspiracy theories. The U.S. is the best and most immediate example. Groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are well-known, playing a significant role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. These groups are keen to recruit current and former military and law enforcement officers because they know how to handle weapons and use explosives. In 2023, the FBI repeatedly said domestic violent extremism continues to pose a threat, especially racially or ethnically motivated extremists and anti-government groups. Accelerationism is behind a lot of this violence. It underpins efforts to speed up the disintegration of society through targeted violence and technology, with the goal of starting a racial war or civil war to bring down liberal democratic institutions. The Base is an example of this trend. It's a multinational, trans-border white supremacist network that supports violence to create chaos. But this is not just a North American problem. Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, far-right members of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment reportedly drew western extremists to their cause, many of whom were looking for paramilitary training, possibly to use against their own governments. This global tide doesn't leave Canada out. The arrests in Quebec are the most recent and concerning example. Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist from Winnipeg, was involved in a well-known Canadian case that involved recruiting for The Base, as well as a plot to harm a journalist, Canadian investigative journalist Ryan Thorpe. His reports in the Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathew's membership in the The Base. Mathew fled to the U.S. in 2019. The FBI subsequently arrested him and charged him with gun-related crimes and taking part in a riot at a Virginia protest. Mathew is now serving a long prison sentence for his part in what the FBI called a "neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States." These examples clearly show how extremists work within national military systems to learn tactical capabilities. The so-called "freedom convoy" occupation of Ottawa in 2022 also showed troubling connections between radicalism and some parts of the Canadian Armed Forces. Investigations found numerous active and former Army members were either actively involved with the convoy or donated a lot of money. Some were found to have posted extreme anti-government views online. Some Army members are also vulnerable to the right-wing ideologies of a "white-ethnostate" fuelled by political rhetoric and hate. All of this paints a bleak picture: extremist ideas are slowly taking hold in Canada as adherents aim to leverage military training to spread cynicism in democratic institutions. Previous studies back this up. To deal with this complicated and changing threat, we need a whole society, integrated approach that includes reliable top-down enforcement and monitoring and proactive, bottom-up societal resilience. To quickly disrupt and deter extremist groups, top-down actions are very important. To properly monitor, penetrate and break up violent extremist networks, law enforcement and security services like CSIS and the RCMP need more resources, updated laws and better co-ordination. It's also important for the Canadian Armed Forces and other security-sensitive organizations to have better screening processes to find and purge those with extremist ideas. But law enforcement isn't enough. For one, it could be seen as biased, which could lead to more radicalization. Bottom-up methods are just as important for long-term prevention. We need programs that provide teachers, social workers, community leaders and families with the tools they need to spot early signs of radicalization and do something about it in a positive way. It's important to teach people how to think critically, read the news to fight false information and learn about civic duties that stress democratic principles and diversity. This is especially critical to fight against rising hate-motivated crimes. I am involved in a one such project. It's called Extremism and Radicalization to Violence Prevention in Manitoba (ERIM). We strive to build resilient communities by creating awareness and early detection of radicalism. Dialogue and education are paramount. Canada can't afford to wait for a disaster to happen before acting. It can't let its soldiers - those tasked with protecting Canadians and Canada's security - get caught up in right-wing extremism. They are a source of national pride and should remain so.
