A high Department of Justice official repeatedly questioned intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein‘s confederate Ghislaine Maxwell about interactions with President Donald Trump — a former good friend of Epstein — throughout a two-day interview in July, newly released transcripts revealed Friday.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who carried out that interview of the imprisoned Maxwell, stated Friday in a social media publish that the DOJ was releasing the entire transcript and audio of their sitdown “In the interest of transparency.”
Blanche, who beforehand served as Trump’s felony protection lawyer, asked Maxwell final month, “Did you ever hear Mr. Epstein or anybody say that President Trump had done anything inappropriate with masseuses or with anybody in your world?” in response to the transcripts.
“Absolutely never, in any context,” stated Maxwell throughout the interview, which was carried out on the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.
Maxwell, at different factors throughout the interview, stated she didn’t know of any wrongdoing by Trump, whom she praised.
The Trump administration has been criticized for weeks for reneging on guarantees to launch investigative information about Epstein, who killed himself in August 2019 after being arrested on youngster intercourse trafficking expenses throughout Trump’s first time period within the White House.
Maxwell instructed Blanche final month that she didn’t imagine the official findings that Epstein dedicated suicide, which lots of Trump’s supporters have additionally questioned.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year jail sentence, having been convicted at trial in Manhattan federal courtroom of procuring underage ladies to be sexually abused by Epstein.
Trump has referred to as the controversy over the DOJ’s determination to not launch the Epstein information a “hoax” created by Democrats, whilst lots of his fellow Republicans in Congress name for his or her launch.
Days after Blanche’s interview with Maxwell in July, Trump famous to reporters that he had the ability to pardon her, though nobody had asked her to take action.
“I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting,” Maxwell stated after being asked about her and Epstein’s visits to the spa at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s resort and present residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
“I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody,” she instructed Blanche. “In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
Maxwell additionally stated she was unaware of any efforts by Epstein to blackmail folks he knew over any interactions they might have had with ladies or ladies in his orbit.
Maxwell stated she couldn’t recall specifics about an album of well-wishes she compiled for Epstein’s fiftieth birthday, the existence of which was revealed after The Wall Street Journal reported {that a} “bawdy” letter despatched to Epstein bore Trump’s signature.
Trump denied sending that letter and is suing the Journal for defamation over its report.
Maxwell instructed Blanche stated she didn’t bear in mind the names of anybody who despatched in letters, saying, “It’s been so long.”
Asked if she recalled Trump submitting a be aware, she stated, “I don’t.
Maxwell, who has asked the Supreme Court to take her appeal of her conviction, had been serving her sentence in a federal prison in Florida.
But after her interview with Blanche, she was transferred to a less-restrictive federal lockup in Texas, a move that was blasted by victims of Epstein.
Maxwell’s attorney David Markus, in a statement about Friday’s release of Blanche’s interview with her, said, “Ghislaine Maxwell is harmless and by no means ought to have been tried, a lot much less convicted, on this case.”
“The solely purpose she was ever charged is that she served as a scapegoat after Jeffrey Epstein died in jail,” Markus said. “Ms. Maxwell didn’t obtain a good trial. Jurors lied to get on the jury, and the end result was tainted from the beginning.”
“The supplies newly released by the Department of Justice make this clear. Ms. Maxwell answered each query,” the attorney said. “She didn’t refuse to reply and didn’t dodge any query. She supported her solutions with paperwork and different goal proof.”
This is growing information. Check again for updates.