The Justice Department on Friday released transcripts of interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate, marking what the Trump administration described as a move toward transparency following criticism over its earlier refusal to release other documents tied to the sex-trafficking case.
The transcripts reveal Maxwell — currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after her 2021 conviction for luring teenage girls to be abused by Epstein — praising President Donald Trump. In a July 24 interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Maxwell stated she never saw Trump engage in sexual misconduct.
According to the transcripts, Maxwell said she never witnessed Trump in “any inappropriate setting in any way.” She added: “The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
The release comes as the administration faces pressure from Trump supporters who had anticipated explosive revelations about high-profile figures allegedly tied to Epstein. Officials have stressed that many records remain sealed to protect victims, even as speculation continues over Epstein’s death and rumored “client lists.”
Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was later indicted in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Epstein died in his Manhattan jail cell later that year; his death was ruled a suicide.
The DOJ and FBI have said their review found no incriminating “client list” and concluded that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”
Maxwell recounted possibly first meeting Trump around 1990, when her father, newspaper owner Robert Maxwell, was friendly with him and admired Trump’s then-wife, Ivana. She also said she never saw Trump “in any type of massage setting” and denied ever hearing that he engaged in inappropriate conduct.
Following the July interview, Maxwell was transferred from a low-security Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas. Officials have not explained the reason for the move.
The Epstein case continues to draw attention due to his ties with public figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Trump. Neither has been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Trump has maintained that his association with Epstein ended years before Epstein’s 2019 indictment.
Maxwell also commented on Clinton, saying he was originally her friend and that she never saw him receive a massage or engage in misconduct. She described their only interactions as occurring during about two dozen flights aboard Epstein’s plane.
She further defended Britain’s Prince Andrew, dismissing as “rubbish” accuser Virginia Giuffre’s claims that Maxwell arranged sexual encounters between the prince and Giuffre.
While Trump has not pardoned Maxwell, he has acknowledged being asked about the possibility. “Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon, but nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it,” Trump told reporters last month, adding that it would be “inappropriate” to discuss.
On Friday, Trump said he instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to provide “everything” the DOJ has on the Epstein files to the House Oversight Committee if requested. “I’m in support of keeping it totally open. I couldn’t care less,” he said, marking a notable shift after resisting such disclosures earlier this summer.
Maxwell, for her part, praised Trump during the interview. According to the transcripts, she told Blanche: “President Trump was always very cordial and very kind to me. And I just want to say that I admire his extraordinary achievement in becoming the President now. And I like him, and I’ve always liked him. So that is the sum and substance of my entire relationship with him.”
Blanche emphasized in an X post announcing the release that, “Except for the names of victims, every word is included. Nothing removed. Nothing hidden.”
Maxwell has appealed her conviction to the Supreme Court, which has not yet decided whether to take up the case.
