Ghislaine Maxwell is back in the headlines, and so is President Donald Trump. The latest twist in the Epstein saga? A top Justice Department official has now met with Maxwell in prison and says he plans to meet her again to see if she’s willing to share names of others who may have abused victims.
Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche, who once served as Trump’s personal lawyer, said he visited Maxwell at the federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, on Thursday and would return for another meeting Friday. He reached out through her legal team to find out if she had “information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims.”
Maxwell, convicted in 2021 for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, is currently serving a 20-year sentence. She’s also in the process of appealing that sentence.
Meanwhile, Trump was asked Friday whether he had considered pardoning or commuting Maxwell’s sentence. His response was direct: “It’s something I haven’t thought about,” he told reporters. “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”
The Epstein case continues to be a political flashpoint. Many of Trump’s supporters and critics alike have demanded more transparency from the Justice Department, particularly regarding Epstein’s connections and how he managed to die by suicide in a high-security jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised the public more documents and details — including any potential list of Epstein’s clients. But this month, the Justice Department issued a memo walking that back. According to the memo, there was no legal basis to keep investigating and no evidence of a so-called client list.
That sudden reversal didn’t sit well with much of Trump’s base, who have long suspected a massive cover-up protecting wealthy elites connected to Epstein’s crimes.
Asked about Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell, Trump said Friday that he didn’t know the specifics, only that the meeting was happening. He used the opportunity to point fingers elsewhere.
“They don’t talk about them. They talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy,” Trump said, appearing to reference other powerful individuals who were linked to Epstein.
Trump was photographed with Epstein multiple times in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and his name showed up on flight logs for Epstein’s private jet. However, he has consistently denied flying on Epstein’s plane and has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.
The renewed interest in Maxwell’s potential cooperation suggests the Justice Department may still be exploring whether there’s more to uncover in the Epstein case. For now, Maxwell remains behind bars and Trump continues to distance himself, while the public keeps asking the same question it’s been asking for years: who else knew, and who else was involved?
And despite all the noise, the answers still feel frustratingly out of reach.