WASHINGTON (BN24) — Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the sexual abuse crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, was granted conditional immunity by the Department of Justice before sitting for two days of interviews with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to multiple reports.
Sources told ABC News that the immunity—formally known as “proffer immunity”—was extended to protect Maxwell from self-incrimination during the interviews, unless she was found to have lied. The rare meeting between Maxwell and Blanche, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, comes amid escalating political pressure on the Trump administration to unseal confidential records tied to the Epstein investigation.
The Department of Justice and the White House have not yet responded to requests for comment, while Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, denied that his client had sought any leniency or favors in return for her cooperation.
“We haven’t asked for anything. This is not a situation where we are asking for anything in return for testimony,” Markus said. “Of course, everybody knows Ms. Maxwell would welcome any relief.”
Maxwell’s legal team acknowledged she had answered questions about “probably 100 people,” including many high-profile individuals allegedly linked to Epstein’s inner circle. Markus also addressed speculation about a potential pardon from Trump. “We haven’t spoken to the president—or anybody—about a pardon,” he said. “The president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in a right and just way.”
Trump, asked by ABC News whether he would consider granting a pardon to Maxwell, replied, “I can’t talk about that now because, you know, it’s a very sensitive interview going on.”
The revelation of the DOJ’s conditional immunity offer has intensified scrutiny over the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein probe. This past week, a House Oversight subcommittee voted to subpoena the DOJ for full disclosure of documents related to the Epstein case after GOP leadership blocked an earlier vote to release the files before the August recess.
Lawmakers from both parties have also voted to compel Maxwell to testify before Congress, a move that could further shake the Republican Party amid lingering accusations of stonewalling the Epstein investigation.
Maxwell reportedly initiated the meeting with Blanche as part of her ongoing appeal of her 2021 conviction. The New York Times reports that Blanche plans to release more information from the Maxwell interview “at the appropriate time.” In the meantime, Congress is expected to revisit efforts to obtain Maxwell’s testimony during a session set for the week of August 11.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the DOJ’s handling of the meeting, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “Trump sending his personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell stinks of high corruption and conflict of interest.”
Alan Dershowitz, a former attorney for Epstein, told Fox News that Maxwell is “the Rosetta Stone” of the Epstein case. “She arranged every single trip with everybody. She knows everything.”
As Maxwell continues to appeal her conviction, her meetings with the DOJ and the prospect of her testifying before Congress have renewed public and political demands for transparency in a scandal that continues to engulf global elites.
