Related video: House heads home amid Epstein controversy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials from the Justice Department were scheduled to convene on Thursday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the jailed companion of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to an individual familiar with the situation.
The Florida meeting, which Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on Tuesday he was attempting to organize, forms part of an ongoing initiative by the Justice Department to promote transparency following intense criticism from segments of President Donald Trump’s support base over a previous decision not to release additional records related to the Epstein investigation.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Blanche mentioned that Trump “has instructed us to disclose all credible evidence” and indicated that if Maxwell possesses information regarding anyone who has perpetrated crimes against victims, the FBI and the Justice Department “will listen to what she has to convey.”
A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday. The person who confirmed the meeting insisted on anonymity to describe a closed-door encounter to The Associated Press.
A lawyer for Maxwell confirmed on Tuesday there were discussions with the government and said Maxwell “will always testify truthfully.”
The House Committee on Oversight issued a subpoena on Wednesday for Maxwell to testify before committee officials in August.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.
Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell’s links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from Attorney General Pam Bondi. The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Bondi told Trump in May that his name was among high-profile people mentioned in government files of Epstein, though the mention does not imply wrongdoing.
Trump, a Republican, has said that he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy” but that they later had a falling out.
A subcommittee on Wednesday also voted to subpoena the Justice Department for documents related to Epstein. And senators in both major political parties have expressed openness to holding hearings on the matter after Congress’ August recess.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has introduced legislation with bipartisan support that would require the Justice Department to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein and his associates.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican majority leader, Rep. Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, have said they will address whatever outstanding Epstein-related issues are in Congress when they return from recess.
Epstein, under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.
In 2019, Epstein was charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations.
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Williams reported from Detroit.
