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 folks,” her lawyer mentioned.
“She answered these questions truthfully, in truth, to the perfect of her means,” David Oscar Markus informed reporters outdoors the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, the place Maxwell met with Deputy Legal professional Common 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 mentioned.
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 ladies.
Officers have mentioned Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell whereas awaiting trial in 2019, however his case has generated countless consideration and conspiracy theories due to his and Maxwell’s hyperlinks to well-known folks, corresponding to royals, presidents and billionaires, together with Donald Trump.
In a social media publish this week, Blanche mentioned Maxwell can be interviewed due to President Trump’s directive to assemble and launch any credible proof about others who could have dedicated crimes.
Trump has denied prior information of Epstein’s crimes and claimed he minimize 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 mentioned Maxwell “was requested perhaps about 100 completely different folks.”
“The deputy lawyer common is searching for the reality,” Markus mentioned. “He requested each attainable query, and he was doing a tremendous job.”
Markus mentioned he didn’t ask for something for Maxwell in return, although he acknowledged that Trump may pardon her.
“Hear, the president this morning mentioned he had the ability to take action. We hope he workout routines that energy in the best and simply approach,” Markus mentioned.
Earlier this month, the Justice Division mentioned it might not launch extra information associated to the Epstein investigation, regardless of guarantees that claimed in any other case from Legal professional Common Pam Bondi. The division additionally mentioned an Epstein consumer 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 mentioned. Epstein struck a take care of federal prosecutors in 2008 that shifted his case to Florida state court docket, 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 court docket in New York.
White reported from Detroit.
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