2:14Ghislaine Maxwell participates in a VIP Evening of Conversation for Women’s Brain Health Initiative on October 18, 2016, in New York.Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Ghislaine Maxwell exhibited a "noteworthy pattern of deceptive behavior," facilitated and took part in the exploitation of several adolescent girls, and did not accept accountability for her actions.
This was the conclusion reached by the federal prosecutors who initiated a criminal case against the long-time associate of Jeffrey Epstein, resulting in her receiving a 20-year prison sentence.
Now, three years later — amidst the ongoing debate regarding the Trump administration’s management of the Epstein documents — the Department of Justice has opted to engage with Maxwell, 63, to allegedly gather more insight into her awareness of whether Epstein’s sex trafficking involved individuals beyond himself.
Ghislaine Maxwell attends VIP Evening of Conversation for Women’s Brain Health Initiative, Oct. 18, 2016, in New York.Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
The prosecutors’ sentencing memorandum following Maxwell’s 2021 conviction provides a candid evaluation of her "monstrous" offenses and raises concerns regarding her truthfulness ahead of her meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later this week.
"In summary, the defendant has repeatedly lied about her offenses, shown a complete lack of acceptance of responsibility, and displayed continuous disregard for the law and the Court," stated federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in June 2022.
Blanche is scheduled to meet with Maxwell in the upcoming days to possibly gather more information "regarding anyone who has perpetrated crimes against victims."
Prior to the meeting, Maxwell’s appellate attorney, David Oscar Markus, assured that she would "testify truthfully" and expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump for his "dedication to revealing the truth in this matter."
Maxwell is still pursuing an appeal against her conviction. Her legal team has petitioned the Supreme Court to dismiss her case, contending that a non-prosecution agreement Epstein made with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2007 allegedly prevented her subsequent prosecution in New York over a decade later.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche addresses the media in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, June 27, 2025.Ken Cedeno/Reuters
The Trump administration requested the high court earlier this month to reject Maxwell’s petition.
In their 2022 sentencing memo, defense attorneys contended that Maxwell "should not bear the full consequences for which Epstein should have been held accountable."
"Epstein was the mastermind, Epstein was the primary abuser, and Epstein orchestrated the crimes for his personal gratification. In reality, had Ghislaine Maxwell never encountered Jeffrey Epstein over 30 years ago, she would not be in this position," they asserted.
Prosecutors maintained that Maxwell facilitated Epstein and actively participated in the exploitation.
According to prosecutors, the evidence presented during Maxwell’s trial showed she was a crucial participant in Epstein’s offenses, providing a facade of respectability and trust before the convicted sex offender victimized numerous teenage girls.
She identified and exploited vulnerable young women, groomed them to normalize their exploitation, and took part in the abuse — directly facilitating one of the most significant sex trafficking networks in U.S. history, prosecutors asserted.
"Maxwell befriended her victims, gained their trust, gradually dismantled their boundaries, and normalized sexual exploitation," prosecutors stated in the memo. "Maxwell’s victims had faith in her: she
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
