DONALD Trump has said it is “appropriate” for the Department of Justice to meet and quiz Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
It comes after a leading Trump official announced his intention to seek a meeting with the disgraced financier’s close associate.
When questioned about the DOJ’s inquiry into Maxwell, the US President said to reporters on Tuesday, “I don’t know about it, but I think it’s something that sounds appropriate to do.”
He added: “I didn’t know that they were going to do it. I don’t really follow that too much. It’s sort of a witch hunt.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed earlier on Tuesday his plans to meet with the disgraced British socialite.
He posted on X: “Justice demands courage.
“For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know?”
He added that he had contacted Maxwell’s counsel on the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits,” he wrote.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of child sex trafficking and other crimes.
But her family has suggested that “government misconduct” could be used as new evidence to challenge her imprisonment.
Her brother Ian Maxwell, 68, hopes to get her out of jail using new evidence.
He recently told the Daily Mail that he fears for his sister’s life.
A statement from Blanche, posted on Bondi’s X account, reads: “President Trump has instructed us to disclose all credible evidence. If Ghislaine Maxwell possesses information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will consider what she has to say.”
“Accordingly, under the direction of Attorney General Bondi, I have reached out to Ms. Maxwell’s legal counsel to ascertain if she is willing to engage with prosecutors from the Department.”
“I anticipate meeting with Ms. Maxwell in the coming days.
“Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government. That changes now.”
Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus told Axios that discussions with the government are underway.
The House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee also voted on Tuesday to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell.
A committee spokesperson said: “Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her.”
Since Epstein’s death, speculatIion has been rife that he blackmailed prominent figures involved with his heinous crimes.
It comes after the final footage of Jeffrey Epstein alive was finally released six years after his death.
He was in prison at the time as he waited for a major trial over sex-trafficking charges.
The disgraced financier was found hanged in jail on the 10 August, 2019.
But ever since his death there has been speculation and conspiracy theories that others were involved.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced this month that Epstein died by suicide – despite rife conspiracy theories to the contrary.
One key claim centres around a rumoured client list of individuals – although the Trump administration has now denied this list exists.
Maxwell’s brother told the Daily Mail: “There’s such overcrowding in Tallahassee that higher-category prisoners are being placed there and it’s becoming a facility that is more dangerous – we’ve got to get her out of there.
“Normally she spends a lot of time in the prison library helping other prisoners with things like form filling, but she has to go from A to B and isn’t always surrounded by guards.
“It’s a possibility someone might get to her.
“I don’t want to be dramatic but you can’t discount it. Look what happened to Epstein.”
