Maxwell Speaks to DOJ Amid Trump’s Epstein Directive \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Ghislaine Maxwell met with the Justice Department for over a day, answering questions about roughly 100 people. Her cooperation comes amid renewed scrutiny of the Epstein case, prompted by President Trump’s directive. Maxwell’s attorney says she told the truth and never invoked privilege.
Quick Looks
- Maxwell met DOJ Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee
- She answered questions about around 100 individuals tied to Epstein
- Her lawyer said she cooperated fully, never invoked any privileges
- Trump ordered a review of Epstein-related evidence and associates
- Reporters asked Trump about pardoning Maxwell; he deflected
- Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence in a low-security Florida prison
- DOJ says no Epstein client list exists; files remain sealed
- Maxwell is appealing her conviction based on Epstein’s 2008 plea deal
- Epstein died in jail in 2019; Maxwell was arrested in 2020
- Their ties to high-profile figures continue to generate controversy
Deep Look
Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, concluded a 1.5-day interview with Justice Department officials on Friday in what is being described as a high-level and high-stakes interrogation. The interview, conducted at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, involved Maxwell answering extensive questions from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — a direct appointee of President Donald Trump, who has returned to office and reignited efforts to expose the full scope of the Epstein criminal network.
Maxwell, now three years into her 20-year prison sentence for her role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse of underage girls, reportedly provided information on “about 100 different people,” according to her attorney, David Oscar Markus. Speaking outside the courthouse, Markus told reporters that Maxwell answered every question “honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability,” and notably “never invoked a privilege” nor refused to cooperate.
“This was a full and transparent session,” Markus said, emphasizing her client’s willingness to assist the Trump administration’s renewed criminal inquiry. “She did not hedge, deflect, or remain silent. She named names.”
The session is part of an escalated federal investigation launched under President Trump’s directive to uncover any credible leads or co-conspirators who might have enabled, funded, or covered up Epstein’s crimes. The investigation, under the leadership of Deputy AG Blanche, aims to restore public confidence in the Justice Department, which has long faced criticism for its opaque handling of Epstein’s case.
President Trump, who has previously downplayed his relationship with Epstein and denied any wrongdoing, instructed the DOJ to follow through on campaign promises to pursue justice in the Epstein-Maxwell saga — a scandal that has lingered across political lines and sparked global interest due to the alleged involvement of powerful elites, including royalty, billionaires, celebrities, and former heads of state.
While Trump was pressed by reporters on Friday about whether he was considering a pardon for Maxwell, he deflected, instead focusing on the broader successes of his second-term administration. However, Maxwell’s attorney acknowledged the possibility of a pardon, saying, “The President said this morning he has the power. We hope he exercises it justly.”
This interview marks a significant moment in a case that has refused to fade from public consciousness. Jeffrey Epstein died under suspicious circumstances in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Though his death was ruled a suicide, speculation around foul play has only intensified, especially given Epstein’s connections to high-ranking officials, foreign dignitaries, and powerful financiers.
Adding fuel to the controversy, the Department of Justice recently announced that it would not release further documentation related to the Epstein investigation, contradicting earlier statements from former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Of particular concern to activists and Epstein survivors is the claim that an “Epstein client list” simply does not exist — an assertion met with public skepticism.
Meanwhile, Maxwell is actively appealing her conviction, citing a 2008 non-prosecution agreement struck between Epstein and federal prosecutors. That deal, brokered behind closed doors, shifted Epstein’s original case to state court in Florida, where he pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received an extraordinarily lenient sentence. Markus contends that the government’s prior assurance — that no co-conspirators would be charged — should apply to Maxwell and invalidate her conviction.
The appeal adds another legal layer to the ongoing drama, which has become a flashpoint for conversations about elite impunity, judicial failure, and systemic cover-ups. As the Trump administration seeks to apply political and judicial pressure in the Epstein-Maxwell investigation, the public waits for answers that have been elusive for years.
President Trump’s willingness to elevate the Epstein case back into national focus may be driven in part by ongoing accusations aimed at his own past associations with Epstein. Though he’s repeatedly denied any involvement, the issue continues to dog him politically and personally. Maxwell’s interview — and whatever sealed evidence it may have generated — could influence the trajectory of the case for months, if not years, to come.
Whether this unprecedented cooperation by Maxwell will yield charges against others remains unclear. But what is certain is that, under President Trump’s second term, the Epstein investigation is back in the national spotlight — with new momentum and high expectations for accountability.
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