Topline
Prosecutors finished their second day of interviewing Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell early Friday afternoon, Maxwell’s lawyer confirmed, saying the talks wrapped up without any promise of a pardon for the British socialite, but that she “didn’t hold anything back” in answering the government’s questions.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005 in New York City.
Key Facts
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell all day Thursday and through lunch time on Friday, Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus told reporters Friday, after the DOJ said it wanted to interview her about Epstein’s associates.
Maxwell “answered every single question asked of her,” Markus said, saying she did not refuse to answer any question or invoke privileges like her Fifth Amendment rights.
The socialite was “asked about maybe about 100 different people,” Markus said, adding she “answered questions about everybody and she didn’t hold anything back.”
Markus said they had not reached any deal with prosecutors for Maxwell to receive a lighter prison sentence or a pardon in exchange for her testimony, saying they “haven’t asked for anything” as a condition of her answering questions, though Maxwell would “welcome any relief.”
The Department of Justice has not yet commented on the Maxwell interview wrapping up, and has not provided any specific information on how much of her testimony could be made public.
Crucial Quote
“The truth will come out about what happened with Mr. Epstein, and she’s the person who’s answering those questions,” Markus told reporters Friday.
Will Ghislaine Maxwell’s Interview Be Made Public?
The DOJ has not yet commented on whether a transcript, recording, or details of Maxwell’s interview will be publicly released, with Blanche only saying Thursday, “The Department of Justice will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time.” The agency has faced widespread public outrage about its lack of transparency around the Epstein investigation, after the DOJ announced it would not release any further Epstein-related files, but has not given any indication that it plans to release more information in response to the backlash.
What Did Ghislaine Maxwell Tell The Doj?
It’s unclear what Maxwell may have told prosecutors, with Markus saying only that she was “asked about every possible thing you could imagine.”
Will Trump Pardon Ghislaine Maxwell?
Trump has not ruled out that he could pardon Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. The president said Friday he “hadn’t thought about” pardoning Maxwell or commuting her sentence, but noted he’s “allowed to do it.” Markus said Friday that he had not spoken to Trump or the White House about a pardon “just yet,” but urged the government to grant Maxwell a reprieve, saying, “It’s the right thing to do, and we have faith that the right thing will happen sooner rather than later.” “The president this morning said he had the power to do [pardon Maxwell] and we hope he exercises that power in a right and just way,” Markus told reporters. Trump is well-known to have frequently socialized with Maxwell during the 1990s and early 2000s—when he was also friends with Epstein, prior to a 2004 falling out—and said when she was indicted in 2020 that he “wish[ed] her well.”
Did Ghislaine Maxwell Answer Questions Truthfully?
Legal experts have raised concerns that Maxwell could lie to prosecutors in order to secure a better deal for herself, pointing to her past perjury charges for allegedly lying in a 2016 deposition. (Prosecutors later dropped the charges as part of a negotiation to avoid re-trying Maxwell’s sex trafficking conviction.) Markus insisted to reporters Friday that Maxwell answered questions “honestly” and “truthfully to the best of her ability.” He denied the suggestion the socialite had incentive to lie, saying Maxwell “wants to tell the truth” and argued there would not be a point to her lying, because anything she said could be “corroborated or disproven.”
Key Background
Epstein allegedly sexually assaulted more than 100 women prior to his arrest in 2019, and died in prison later that year. Maxwell has been identified as Epstein’s key collaborator in his alleged sex trafficking scheme, and was convicted on charges stemming from allegations that she helped recruit women for Epstein, some of whom were underage, and participated in his alleged abuse. She was convicted in 2021 and is now serving a 20-year prison term, but is still appealing her conviction, most recently asking the Supreme Court to take up the case. (The court has not yet issued a decision on her request.) Prosecutors announced Tuesday they intended to meet with Maxwell amid the broader outcry over the Epstein files, one of several smaller steps the Trump administration has taken in response to the controversy, even as they’ve continued to withhold the Epstein files. The DOJ has also asked multiple courts to unseal grand jury documents in cases against Maxwell and Epstein, though those are believed to offer much less information than the full tranche of documents in the government’s possession.