By KATE PAYNE and ED WHITE, Related Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, completed 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Division officers on Friday, answering questions “about 100 completely different individuals,” her legal professional stated.
“She answered these questions actually, in truth, to the perfect of her capacity,” David Oscar Markus advised reporters outdoors the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, the place Maxwell met with Deputy Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche.
“She by no means invoked a privilege. She by no means refused to reply a query, so we’re very pleased with her,” Markus stated.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal jail in Tallahassee. She was sentenced three years in the past after being convicted of serving to Epstein, a rich, well-connected financier, sexually abuse underage women.
Officers have stated Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell whereas awaiting trial in 2019, however his case has generated limitless consideration and conspiracy theories due to his and Maxwell’s hyperlinks to well-known individuals, akin to royals, presidents and billionaires, together with Donald Trump.
In a social media submit this week, Blanche stated Maxwell could be interviewed due to President Trump’s directive to collect and launch any credible proof about others who might have dedicated crimes.
Trump has denied prior information of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he reduce off their relationship way back. However he faces ongoing questions concerning the Epstein case, overshadowing his administration’s achievements. On Friday, reporters pressed the Republican president about pardoning Maxwell, however he deflected, emphasizing his administration’s successes.
Markus stated Maxwell “was requested perhaps about 100 completely different individuals.”
“The deputy legal professional basic is looking for the reality,” Markus stated. “He requested each doable query, and he was doing a tremendous job.”
Markus stated he didn’t ask for something for Maxwell in return, although he acknowledged that Trump might pardon her.
“Pay attention, the president this morning stated he had the ability to take action. We hope he workouts that energy in the suitable and simply method,” Markus stated.
Earlier this month, the Justice Division stated it might not launch extra recordsdata associated to the Epstein investigation, regardless of guarantees that claimed in any other case from Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi. The division additionally stated an Epstein shopper record doesn’t exist.
Maxwell is interesting her conviction, primarily based on the federal government’s pledge years in the past that any potential Epstein co-conspirators wouldn’t be charged, Markus stated. Epstein struck a cope with federal prosecutors in 2008 that shifted his case to Florida state courtroom, the place he pleaded responsible to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution.
Epstein in 2019 and Maxwell in 2020 have been charged in federal courtroom in New York.
White reported from Detroit.
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