Justice Department Questions Ghislaine Maxwell in Epstein Probe/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida as part of the Justice Department’s renewed effort to demonstrate transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence, cooperated fully, according to her attorney. The meeting comes amid heightened public and congressional scrutiny over withheld Epstein-related files.
Maxwell-DOJ Interview + Quick Looks
- DOJ’s Todd Blanche interviews Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida prison
- Maxwell cooperates fully, answers all questions without invoking privilege
- Interview follows public pressure for transparency in Epstein case
- House Oversight subpoenas Maxwell to testify in August
- DOJ reaffirms no “client list” exists, contradicting prior claims
- Trump reportedly informed his name appears in Epstein records
- Subcommittees and lawmakers push for full Epstein file release
- DOJ pledges to disclose findings “at the appropriate time”
- Bipartisan calls grow for congressional hearings post-recess
- Epstein’s 2019 death continues to fuel conspiracy theories and demands for answers
Justice Department Questions Ghislaine Maxwell in Epstein Probe
Deep Look
The Justice Department escalated its efforts to reassert public trust in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation on Thursday, as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche personally met with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and convicted accomplice. The high-profile meeting took place at the federal correctional facility in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in facilitating Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls.
Blanche, who organized the meeting himself, said it is part of a broader push to restore transparency following intense backlash over the department’s decision earlier this month to halt the release of further Epstein-related files. That decision outraged both the public and President Donald Trump’s political base, who had been promised a comprehensive review and disclosure of the case’s remaining documents.
“Ms. Maxwell answered every single question. She never stopped, she never invoked a privilege, she never declined to answer,” said her attorney, David Oscar Markus, who described the meeting as a productive step forward. He also noted that there were no discussions about a possible sentence reduction or pardon, though he did not rule it out for the future.
Blanche posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the interview will resume Friday and that the Justice Department will share more information “at the appropriate time.”
The interview with Maxwell coincides with renewed momentum in Congress to obtain Epstein-related materials. Just one day prior, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena requiring Maxwell to testify in August. Meanwhile, bipartisan lawmakers are showing interest in holding hearings once Congress returns from its August recess.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced legislation — with support from both parties — demanding the full public release of all unclassified materials linked to Epstein and his associates. The proposed bill mandates that the DOJ make these records “searchable and downloadable,” underscoring the urgency with which lawmakers are now treating the issue.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have also committed to prioritizing Epstein-related matters upon Congress’s return, signaling that legislative action is increasingly likely.
The Epstein case, dormant for months, reemerged into public consciousness after The Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had briefed Trump in May, informing him that his name appears in government files on Epstein. Bondi has since claimed that no incriminating client list exists and that no further actionable material remains — a statement that sparked further skepticism.
Trump, for his part, acknowledged knowing Epstein socially but insisted they had a falling-out years before the financier’s 2019 arrest.
“I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him,” Trump said in 2019, following revelations that they had been seen together at social events in the early 1990s. He has consistently denied any involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Maxwell, who was convicted in 2022, has long been a focal point in efforts to uncover more about Epstein’s network of wealthy and powerful associates. Her cooperation with federal authorities could potentially open new investigative paths — though no details of Thursday’s interview have yet been disclosed.
The push for transparency comes amid mounting public frustration that powerful individuals may have evaded accountability due to the sensitive and secretive nature of Epstein’s connections. While the DOJ has claimed there is no longer any legal justification for additional prosecutions, advocates argue that only full disclosure can restore trust in the justice system.
The Epstein saga traces back to 2008, when Epstein received a controversial non-prosecution agreement in Florida, pleading guilty to state charges of soliciting a minor while avoiding more severe federal charges. He served just 13 months in a work-release program. In 2019, he was arrested again on federal sex trafficking charges but was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell weeks later — a death ruled a suicide, but one that continues to provoke widespread suspicion.
Now, as interviews resume and congressional subpoenas are issued, pressure continues to build on the Justice Department to demonstrate that no one is above the law — and that the full truth behind Epstein’s crimes will be brought into the light.
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