Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has told US officials that a supposed “client list” of powerful figures linked to Epstein does not exist.
In a July interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump, Maxwell said she had never seen inappropriate conduct by Trump or former President Bill Clinton. She also described allegations that Prince Andrew engaged in sexual activity with a minor in her home as “mind-blowingly not conceivable.”
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme and has petitioned the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. Her lawyers have said they would welcome a presidential pardon. The White House has denied that any leniency is being considered.
Shortly after the interview, Maxwell was moved from a Florida prison to a low-security facility in Texas. Officials have not explained the reason for the transfer.
In transcripts released from the interview, Maxwell insisted “there is no list,” rejecting a claim long circulated by conspiracy theorists that Epstein kept records of high-profile associates. She was asked about several well-known figures, including Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Ehud Barak, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Kevin Spacey, Naomi Campbell and Prince Andrew, and denied facilitating introductions.
Maxwell said she did not believe Epstein died by suicide in 2019, though she dismissed theories that he was murdered. “If that is what they wanted, they would’ve had plenty of opportunity when he wasn’t in jail,” she said.
She also claimed a widely circulated photo showing Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse when she was 17, was a fake. Andrew denied wrongdoing but settled the case with Giuffre in 2022.
Giuffre died earlier this year. Her family criticised the US Justice Department for interviewing Maxwell, calling her a “monster” whose testimony cannot be trusted.
Maxwell told officials she first met Epstein in 1991 and was paid by him for years, receiving up to $250,000 annually by 2009, even after their romantic relationship ended. She said they remained “friends with benefits” until around 2010, after which contact was minimal.
Trump, who once socialised with Epstein, has faced pressure from both Democrats and Republicans for more transparency over the case. He has maintained that he fell out with Epstein in 2004 and has not been accused of wrongdoing.
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