Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met privately with Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tallahassee, marking the most high-profile interaction to date between the Trump administration and the imprisoned Epstein associate.
Blanche arrived at the federal courthouse just before 9 a.m. ET and declined to comment to reporters on the way in. The contents of the meeting remain undisclosed, but it comes at a time when the Department of Justice — at President Donald Trump’s direction — is under pressure to release “all credible evidence” related to Epstein’s network and alleged co-conspirators.
“If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” Blanche said earlier this week in a statement posted to X by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, has reportedly been in discussions with the DOJ for several weeks. Her attorney recently said she is open to testifying and will “always testify truthfully.”
Still, skepticism remains. The DOJ previously declined to cut a plea deal with Maxwell before her 2021 trial, citing what court filings described as a persistent refusal to take accountability and a pattern of dishonesty. Those concerns may linger even as the Justice Department now signals a willingness to listen.
Thursday’s meeting raised eyebrows due to Blanche’s personal involvement. Blanche, who once served as Trump’s private legal counsel, now occupies one of the top positions in the Justice Department — a fact not lost on legal observers.
“If Todd Blanche, now running the DOJ and formerly Trump’s personal lawyer, is personally meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell in prison, it suggests something far outside the norm,” said defense attorney Duncan Levin. “This isn’t some career prosecutor following protocol. It’s a direct line from Trump’s inner circle to one of the most infamous inmates in the country.”
The timing is notable. Just one day earlier, the House Oversight Committee issued a formal subpoena compelling Maxwell to testify before Congress. Chairman James Comer confirmed that Maxwell will sit for a deposition inside the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee on August 11.
House Republicans have been escalating pressure on the Justice Department to release the full trove of Epstein files — particularly grand jury records and sealed witness statements — following months of public scrutiny and frustration over redacted documents and missing details.
A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday denied the DOJ’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts, citing legal constraints under 11th Circuit precedent. However, the DOJ has filed similar requests in New York, where judges have not yet ruled.
The meeting with Maxwell is likely to further intensify debate over the Trump administration’s Epstein investigation strategy, which is now facing scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle. While many in the GOP are calling for full transparency, some Democrats accuse the administration of slow-walking the process or deflecting from its own political interests.
Speaker Mike Johnson has urged patience, saying this week that Congress should “give the administration space” but that lawmakers remain committed to “maximum transparency.”
With the clock ticking toward Maxwell’s August deposition and fresh demands for public disclosure mounting in the House, the Justice Department’s next moves — and whatever Maxwell may reveal — could reshape one of the most explosive scandals in recent political memory.
The post Justice Department Meets With Ghislaine Maxwell appeared first on Real News Now.
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