DOJ Releases Ghislaine Maxwell Interview Transcripts
The Department of Justice has made public the transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s lengthy interview, spanning two days, where she discussed her past with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker.
Maxwell, notably the only person to face both civil and criminal repercussions for Epstein’s crimes, had been a subject of speculation regarding the transcripts’ release. On Friday, the DOJ shared the highly awaited documents.
These transcripts, which are accompanied by newly unveiled audio recordings, address some significant questions. For instance, they delve into the existence of a so-called “client list” of Epstein’s visitors, Maxwell’s feelings about Epstein’s death, and whether Donald Trump ever visited Epstein’s island.
During the interview, Maxwell adamantly denied the existence of any “client list,” asserting that Epstein lacked any materials for blackmail against his high-profile acquaintances.
“There is no list,” she told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “I’m not aware of any blackmail. I never heard that. I never saw it, and I never imagined it.”
“This is one man. He’s not some — they’ve made him into this,” she continued. “He’s not that interesting. He’s a disgusting guy who did terrible things to young kids.”
Throughout the interview, various officials frequently mentioned included former President Bill Clinton and the current President Donald Trump. Maxwell reflected on her first encounter with Trump, noting it was around 1990, and how her father, who owned the New York Daily News, had a positive relationship with him.
She described Trump as “very cordial” and “kind,” adding that she never found him in any inappropriate circumstances.
“I actually never saw the President in any type of ‘massage’ setting. I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects,” Maxwell recounted.
She explained that both Epstein and Trump ran in the same Palm Beach social circles, although their ties faded after Epstein’s 2006 indictment.
In contrast, Maxwell pointed out that Bill Clinton was her friend, not Epstein’s, and alleged that the former president and she shared a warm rapport that she didn’t observe between Clinton and Epstein.
“President Clinton was my friend, not Epstein’s friend,” she stressed. “President Clinton liked me, and we got along terribly well. But I never saw that warmth with Mr. Epstein.”
When questioned about any business dealings between the Clintons and Epstein, Maxwell provided a measured response.
“I don’t know the answer to that strictly, because I was – I was part of the beginning process of the Clinton Global Initiative. And that was something that I helped with, and that was me. Epstein may have helped me help them.”
Maxwell also expressed skepticism about Epstein’s death, which was officially ruled a suicide while he was incarcerated.
“I do not believe he died by suicide, no,” she remarked when discussing his passing.
Currently, Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s trafficking network, as federal prosecutors described her involvement in recruiting and abusing underage girls.
