Will Ghislaine Maxwell Tell The Truth To Investigators?

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As Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche meets pinch Ghislaine Maxwell successful Florida, a cardinal mobility is whether Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accomplice will show nan truth. Before and aft Maxwell was convicted of activity trafficking minors successful 2021, prosecutors and nan judge who oversaw nan lawsuit said that Maxwell made aggregate mendacious statements.

“The defendant’s willingness to brazenly dishonesty nether oath astir her conduct, including immoderate of nan behaviour charged successful nan Indictment, powerfully suggests her existent motive has been and remains to debar being held accountable for her crimes,” prosecutors wrote successful a mobility arguing that Maxwell should beryllium jailed pending trial.

Prosecutors added that Maxwell besides lied erstwhile she was fixed a chance to admit her actions successful a 2016 civilian suit.“ When nan suspect was fixed nan opportunity to reside her behaviour pinch minors successful nan discourse of a civilian suit, she lied repeatedly,” they wrote.

Maxwell’s attorneys said astatine nan clip that “the questions asked were confusing, ambiguous, and improperly formed.” They added, “There were nary ‘crimes’ concealed by Ms. Maxwell’s answers.”

After Maxwell was recovered guiltyofrecruiting, grooming and trafficking aggregate teenage girls for Epstein,JudgeAlison Nathannoted that Maxwell had not accepted work for her crimes.

“Ms. Maxwell coming acknowledged nan courageousness of nan victims, talked astir nan symptom and anguish they expressed, to immoderate grade acknowledged nan symptom and suffering,” Nathan said. “What wasn’t expressed was acceptance of responsibility.”

Jack Scarola, a lawyer who represents astir 20 Epstein victims, said that Maxwell’s history of mendacity shows that immoderate interrogator who questions her must beryllium thoroughly prepared. “It is evident to america that approaching an question and reply casually will beryllium a complete discarded of time,” he said.

Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus,did not respond to a petition for comment. In a connection to NBC News earlier this week, Markus said, “Ghislaine will ever attest truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his committedness to uncovering nan truth successful this case.”

New Hampshire house

Maxwell attempted to hide her whereabouts from FBI agents earlier she was arrested successful 2021, according to prosecutors.Maxwell, a girl of nan precocious British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell, was livingin a 4,300-square-foot timber-frame houseon a 156-acre propertyin agrarian New Hampshire. Records showed that it was purchased fora small much than $1 millionby an anonymous constricted liability corp nan erstwhile year.

After nan agents moved past a information defender hired by Maxwell, they saw her peering retired a model from wrong nan house. After Maxwell did not respond to knocks connected nan door, agents collapsed down nan doorway and entered,according to tribunal documents.

During an FBI hunt of nan residence, they recovered 1 of Maxwell’s phones wrapped successful tinfoil. Prosecutors called that a haphazard and ineffective measurement to effort to thwart rule enforcement compartment telephone surveillance.

After her arrest, Maxwell did not authorities nan liquid assets astatine her disposal, arsenic required by her bail application, according to prosecutors.Maxwelllisted accounts astatine an English slope pinch “maximum values totaling good complete $2 million.” But she did not disclose a Swiss slope relationship pinch an approximate equilibrium of $4 million.

Prosecutors wrote, “to nan grade nan suspect now refuses to relationship for her ownership of aliases entree to immense wealth, it is not because it does not exist, it is because she is attempting to hide it.”

Civil lawsuit deposition

After her arrest, Maxwell was besides charged pinch 2 counts of perjury owed to mendacious statements she made successful a deposition nether oath successful nan 2016 civilian case. Prosecutors alleged that Maxwell lied erstwhile she said she was not alert of Epstein’s efforts to enlistee underage girls for sex.

Maxwell besides lied erstwhile she claimed she was unaware of anyone 18 years aliases younger being connected Epstein’s properties, they said. And Maxwell lied erstwhile she denied that she had intersexual interaction pinch different women while pinch Epstein, and that Epstein had activity toys.

After prosecutors secured a condemnation against Maxwell, they declined to move guardant pinch a court-ordered proceedings connected nan perjury charges.

Legal experts opportunity that cooperating witnesses who person antecedently lied tin still beryllium effective witnesses if location is grounds that corroborates their claims. Their credibility tin besides beryllium boosted if they springiness a compelling logic for why they lied.

Whether prosecutors, lawmakers and nan nationalist find Maxwell reliable will apt not beryllium known for weeks. After her gathering pinch Deputy Attorney General Blanche connected Thursday, Maxwell is scheduled to beryllium deposed by members of nan House Oversight Committee connected August 11th.

Tom Winter

Tom Winter is NBC’s National Law Enforcement and Intelligence Correspondent.

Chloe Atkins

Chloe Atkins reports for nan NBC News National Security and Law Unit, based successful New York.

Laura Strickler

contributed

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