Ghislaine Maxwell — the convicted co-conspirator of sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein — advised a high official of the U.S. Justice Division that President Donald Trump was “a gentleman in all respects” and that she by no means noticed him do something inappropriate with anybody related to Epstein.
“Completely by no means, in any context,” Maxwell stated.
Maxwell advised Deputy Legal professional Normal Todd Blanche throughout a extremely uncommon two-day interview session final month that in her time with Epstein — which spanned from the early Nineties to the mid-2000s — she by no means noticed nor heard of any improper or illicit exercise by Trump nor any of the well-known males who related to Epstein, based on a transcript of the dialog made public on Friday.
“I by no means witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any method. The President was by no means inappropriate with anyone. Within the occasions that I used to be with him, he was a gentleman in all respects,” Maxwell stated.
Maxwell’s feedback got here because the Trump administration stays mired in controversy over its resolution to not launch to the general public its investigative information on Epstein.
Printed reviews within the New York Instances and the Wall Avenue Journal final month indicated that the choice to not launch the information got here after President Trump was knowledgeable that his title was amongst those who appeared a number of occasions within the paperwork. The president has denied that he was advised his title appeared within the information. The looks of a reputation within the Epstein information is just not proof of illicit exercise.
The transcript launched Friday signifies that Maxwell’s attorneys initiated the request for the assembly with Blanche, however her representatives have insisted that no guarantees had been made by the administration in reference to the interview.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump attend the fiftieth anniversary for each the Ford Modeling Company and Pantene hair care merchandise in New York, Oct. 30, 1997.
Richard Corkery/NY Each day Information Archive through Getty Photographs
“We’ve not spoken to the president or anybody a few pardon simply but,” Maxwell’s legal professional David Markus stated outdoors the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Tallahassee, the place the interview befell final month.
“In fact, all people is aware of Ms. Maxwell would welcome any aid,” he added.
Trump, Maxwell advised Blanche, was “at all times very cordial and really type to me” in her interactions with him.
“And I simply need to say that I discover — I love his extraordinary achievement in changing into the president now. And I like him, and I’ve at all times preferred him,” she stated, based on the transcript.
Earlier than any allegations of sexual misconduct towards Epstein surfaced in 2005, Trump spoke glowingly of Epstein, and courtroom information have included paperwork and testimony indicating Trump was a passenger on one among Epstein’s jets no less than eight occasions between 1993 and 1997. The 2 native New Yorkers appeared in pictures collectively at Mar-A-Lago, the president’s non-public Palm Seaside membership, and at varied public occasions in Manhattan.
Trump advised New York journal in 2002 he’d identified Epstein for 15 years and described him as a “Terrific man.”
“He is lots of enjoyable to be with. It’s even stated that he likes lovely ladies as a lot as I do, and plenty of of them are on the youthful aspect. Little doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life,” he advised the journal.After Epstein’s arrest in 2019 on conspiracy and baby sex-trafficking costs. Trump, then in his first presidential time period, stated he’d ended his relationship with Epstein 15 years earlier.
“I knew him like all people in Palm Seaside knew him,” Trump advised reporters within the Oval Workplace in July 2019. “I had a falling out with him a very long time in the past. I do not assume I’ve spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn’t a fan. I used to be not, yeah, a very long time in the past, I would say possibly 15 years. I used to be not a fan of his, that I can inform you. I used to be not a fan of his,” Trump stated.
Extra not too long ago, the president has claimed he cut up with Epstein after discovering Epstein was allegedly poaching workers from the spa at Mar-A-Lago, the president’s non-public membership in Palm Seaside.After Maxwell’s arrest in 2020 for aiding in Epstein’s sex-trafficking, Trump was noticeably extra sympathetic.
“I simply want her effectively, frankly. I’ve met her quite a few occasions over time particularly since I lived in Palm Seaside and I suppose they lived in Palm Seaside. However I want her effectively, no matter it’s,” the president stated.
Maxwell stated that she first knew of Trump by way of her late father, the late British publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, who bought the NY Each day Information in 1991.
“I could have met Donald Trump at the moment as a result of my father was very pleasant with him and preferred him very a lot,” Maxwell stated. “And I feel, [it] must be stated that he additionally very a lot preferred [Trump’s first wife] Ivana as a result of she was additionally from Czechoslovakia the place my dad was from.”
Maxwell stated she solely noticed Trump and Epstein collectively in social settings and that she didn’t introduce the 2 males.
“I do not understand how they met, and I do not understand how they turned pals. I actually noticed them collectively and I bear in mind the few occasions I noticed them collectively. However they had been pleasant. I imply, they appeared pleasant,” Maxwell stated.
The 63-year-old Maxwell — a former girlfriend and longtime companion of Epstein — was granted restricted immunity for her discussions with Blanche. She was convicted in 2021 of sex-trafficking and different offenses related to her facilitation and participation in Epstein’s sexual exploitation of minor women.
Maxwell didn’t testify in her personal protection, however her attorneys insisted on her innocence all through the trial. They contended the federal government was prosecuting Maxwell as a “substitute” for Epstein, after the accused baby sex-trafficker died in federal custody in 2019.
Within the interview with Blanche, Maxwell continued to insist she was not concerned within the sexual exploitation of minors.
“I am not saying that Mr. Epstein didn’t do these issues,” Maxwell advised Blanche. “I am not right here to defend him. However what I can say is I didn’t take part in that exercise.”
At her sentencing listening to in 2022, a federal prosecutor stated that Maxwell had proven “completely no regret” and had “made misrepresentations when it fits her.” A federal decide imposed a 20 12 months jail sentence.
Maxwell has appealed her conviction however has to this point been unsuccessful. She at present has a petition pending earlier than the US Supreme Courtroom for a evaluation of her case. The justice division has opposed her petition, and the excessive courtroom has not but indicated whether or not it’s going to hear her attraction.
On the conclusion of the interview session final month, Blanche advised Maxwell that he had no plan for what would possibly come subsequent, however that he would proceed speaking together with her attorneys.
“So I’ll discuss to Mr. Markus about what we’ll do subsequent, if something,” Blanche stated.
“I am not being coy. I simply — I do not know but. I do not know,” he stated.
