DOJ’s Secret Ghislaine Maxwell Interviews Spark Transparency Fury Amid Trump’s Second Term

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche recently concluded two days of highly unusual, secret meetings with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, sparking widespread criticism and fueling concerns over the Justice Department’s transparency in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The nine hours of closed-door questioning, held on a recent Friday, yielded no public statements from Blanche regarding Maxwell’s testimony or the probe’s next steps.

Legal experts and former prosecutors have called the department’s second-highest official personally interviewing a witness “unprecedented” and questioned the exclusion of lead prosecutors from the sessions. This lack of transparency has intensified public outcry, especially following the DOJ and FBI’s July 6 announcement that an exhaustive review of the Epstein case found no evidence to justify investigating other individuals, a finding backed by FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, both known for spreading Epstein conspiracy theories.

The secretive interviews come as President Donald Trump faces a significant political crisis in his second term over the Epstein investigation. Critics, including former federal prosecutor Catherine Christian, suggest the meetings could be performative or an attempt to shield President Trump, who socialized with Epstein and whose name appears in the vast Epstein case documents reviewed by the DOJ and FBI.

Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, confirmed his client answered questions about “maybe about 100 different people” and “didn’t hold anything back,” though specific names were not disclosed. A senior administration official revealed Maxwell was granted limited immunity, a common practice allowing defendants to provide information without fear of it being used against them, provided they tell the truth. This immunity is not expected to impact Maxwell’s current 20-year federal prison sentence, as her appeal is pending before the Supreme Court.

President Trump, when asked about the Epstein case on the same Friday, deflected attention to others like former President Bill Clinton and Larry Summers, stating, “You should focus on Clinton… the president of Harvard, the former president of Harvard.” He also acknowledged his power to pardon or commute Maxwell’s sentence, adding, “It’s something I haven’t thought about,” but reiterated, “I’m allowed to do it.”

Further fueling controversy, the recent firing of Maurene Comey, a lead prosecutor in the Maxwell case and daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been interpreted by some, like former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah, as an effort to give Trump appointees full control, limit transparency, and silence dissent within the Justice Department, particularly concerning the Epstein investigation.

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