Top DOJ official expects to meet with longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
A senior Department of Justice (DOJ) official has reached out to lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex offender and associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, about setting up a meeting with Maxwell amid a push from lawmakers for more transparency around Epstein's case.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement early Tuesday that he has communicated with Maxwell's counsel "to determine whether she would be willing to speak with prosecutors from the Department."
"I anticipate meeting with Ms. Maxwell in the coming days," Blanche said. "Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now."
Blanche said his outreach was at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has faced criticism from conservatives over her handling of documents related to Epstein.
Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Earlier this year, Maxwell urged the Supreme Court to review her case. The Justice Department had pushed the court to reject that appeal.
The Trump administration, and the Justice Department in particular, has faced backlash from President Trump's MAGA base and some lawmakers in Congress who have pushed for more information to be released around Epstein's case.
The pushback stems from a joint memo released earlier this month from the FBI and DOJ that stated Epstein did not have a "client list" and confirmed he died by suicide in his New York City jail cell in 2019. The findings incensed members of the MAGA movement, who have for years pushed conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death and claims that prominent Democrats would be named on a client list.
Epstein, accused in several cases of sex trafficking young girls, ran in high-powered circles with figures that included Trump, former President Clinton, Britain’s Prince Andrew and a number of other celebrities and ultrawealthy individuals.
"The joint statement by the DOJ and FBI of July 6 remains as accurate today as it was when it was written," Blanche said in Tuesday's statement. "Namely, that in the recent thorough review of the files maintained by the FBI in the Epstein case, no evidence was uncovered that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties. "
Trump has expressed exasperation and irritation at the continued focus on the Epstein case, even among many of his own supporters. But he has also said Bondi should release any "credible" evidence in the case.