The US Justice Department has released full transcripts and audio recordings of a prison interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted aide and former partner of Jeffrey Epstein. The disclosures come amid ongoing investigation into the long-running scandal surrounding Epstein’s circle of influence, the circumstances of his death, and speculation about a so-called “client list”.
No evidence against Donald Trump
One of the most striking points in the transcripts is Maxwell’s statement regarding US president Donald Trump. She insisted she never witnessed Trump behaving inappropriately with anyone while in Epstein’s social circle.
“I never saw Donald Trump receive a massage. I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way,” she said. “Whenever I saw him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
Maxwell also denied recruiting masseuses from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, countering a longstanding claim tied to Trump’s past disputes with Epstein. “I’ve never recruited a masseuse from Mar-a-Lago, as far as I remember. I can’t recollect ever doing that,” she added.
Friendship between Trump and Epstein
Maxwell confirmed that Trump and Epstein were friendly, though she could not recall how the two first met. “I certainly saw them together, and the few times I observed them they were friendly,” she said. She also did not recall Trump contributing to Epstein’s 50th birthday album, despite previous reports suggesting otherwise.
When asked about former president Bill Clinton, Maxwell said she never saw him receive a massage while travelling with Epstein. She also denied any association between Epstein and Hillary Clinton.
No Epstein files?
For years, speculation has swirled about whether Epstein maintained compromising material on powerful figures. Maxwell dismissed such claims outright, telling Blanche that Epstein had neither a “client list” nor photographic or video evidence of high-profile individuals engaged in sexual misconduct.
She also said she had not witnessed Epstein blackmailing anyone. “I never heard or saw instances of him blackmailing powerful people,” she insisted.
Maxwell acknowledged that she recruited masseuses for Epstein but admitted she did not check their age or qualifications. However, she maintained that she never saw guests behave in a sexually inappropriate manner with the women.
Epstein did not kill himself
Despite supporting some accusations against Epstein, Maxwell repeated her longstanding belief that his death was not a suicide. Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019, with officials ruling it a suicide by hanging.
Maxwell attributed his death to “mismanagement” by the Bureau of Prisons, saying she remained unconvinced by the official version of events. She further claimed Epstein once confided that he suffered from a heart condition that limited his ability to have normal sexual relations.
Interestingly, she conceded that Epstein “did a lot of, not all, but some of what he’s accused of,” adding that his behaviour developed “over a period of time”.
The transcripts stem from a two-day interview on 24 and 25 July, conducted by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche at the federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maxwell was being held. She was granted limited immunity from further prosecution during the interview, provided she did not give false statements.
Authorities published hundreds of pages of transcripts, along with several audio files, on the Justice Department’s website. The materials represent the most detailed public account of Maxwell’s perspective since her conviction in 2021 for sex trafficking and conspiracy charges linked to Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.
Blanche stressed that the interview did not promise any reward or relief for Maxwell. “This conversation is not promising to do anything for you,” he clarified on record. The limited immunity offered only meant that her words could not be used against her unless she lied or her case was retried.
The Justice Department has also begun transferring documents related to Epstein to the House Oversight Committee. According to officials, the first batch contains “thousands of pages” of records, marking a significant step towards transparency in a case that has fuelled conspiracy theories for years.
The release of Maxwell’s interview has once again placed the Epstein scandal under the spotlight. Maxwell, who remains the only key figure imprisoned in connection with Epstein’s crimes, claims her side of the story has never been heard.