DOJ Releases Transcript from Interview with Associate Attorney General Todd Blanche

On Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) made public a transcript and audio file of an interview with Associate Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Blanche conducted the interview with Ghislaine Maxwell over two days. The transcript from July 24 spans 263 pages, while the second day on July 25 is comprised of 66 pages. The documents have undergone light editing. Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer, led the discussions.

The interview aimed to reassess the handling of the Epstein Matter, particularly after public outcry regarding the DOJ and FBI’s initial decision not to disclose further information.

During the session, Maxwell stated she had never witnessed Trump in any compromising situations. Critics of Trump have argued that he might be hesitant to divulge more about Epstein due to the case’s sensitive nature.

“They seemed friendly, like people in a casual setting,” Maxwell remarked on Trump’s connection to Epstein. “I don’t think they’re close friends; I’ve never seen him at his home,” she continued, emphasizing that she had never seen Trump in any inappropriate context.

Maxwell further clarified, “I have never observed the President in any sort of massage scenario or any other inappropriate setting. He was a gentleman at all times during my interactions with him.”

The DOJ’s release included the first batch of pages from the Epstein Files, responding to a subpoena from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. A spokesperson confirmed that Maxwell’s transcript was part of this release.

Maxwell, who had longstanding ties to Epstein, was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Earlier this year, she requested the Supreme Court to review her case, although the Justice Department has argued against her appeal.

In her discussion with Blanche, Maxwell spoke about her association with Epstein, mentioning Trump when she reflected on her past. “I might have met Donald Trump back in the ’90s,” she said.

She described Trump as genuinely kind, stating, “I admire him for his achievements as president, and I have always liked him.”

Maxwell recalled seeing Trump last “probably in the mid-2000s,” asserting that she had never heard Epstein mention Trump at all.

Blanche sought to clarify further about Maxwell’s encounters with Trump, and she affirmed they had met. He also inquired about other notable figures within Epstein’s circle in the early ’90s, to which Maxwell listed several names, including former Rep. Tom McMillen and Harvard’s Henry Rosovsky.

At the interview’s start, Blanche made it clear to Maxwell, “If you say something that is false, it could lead to prosecution for providing a false statement.” He also noted he would not guarantee to speak on her behalf to the judge involved in her case.