On August 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice released the full transcripts and audio of a two-day interview conducted in July with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move, announced by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, was described as being made "in the interest of transparency" amid intensifying political and public pressure to shed light on the lingering questions surrounding the Epstein case.
The newly released transcripts quickly became the center of a political and media firestorm. According to The Independent, the House Oversight Committee, which had issued a subpoena earlier in August demanding all documents related to the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell, received a batch of files from the DOJ on Friday. However, House Democrats, including Rep. Summer L. Lee and Rep. Ro Khanna, criticized the release, stating that 97 percent of the 33,295 pages were already in the public domain and only 3 percent contained any new information. "Less than 1 percent of the Epstein files have actually been released," Khanna told MSNBC, calling the partial release "insulting to the survivors who have waited far too long for accountability."
The interview with Maxwell, conducted at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, near the prison where she had been serving her 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, focused heavily on her knowledge of interactions between Epstein and prominent figures, most notably former President Donald Trump. Deputy Attorney General Blanche, who previously served as Trump's criminal defense lawyer, pressed Maxwell on whether she had ever heard of Trump engaging in inappropriate conduct with masseuses or anyone else within Epstein's circle. Maxwell responded bluntly, "Absolutely never, in any context." She further emphasized, "I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting," and added, "I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects."
Maxwell also denied any awareness of efforts by Epstein to blackmail associates or friends, a theory that has long fueled speculation about the breadth of Epstein's influence and the potential leverage he may have held over powerful individuals. When asked about a birthday album for Epstein's 50th birthday—reported by The Wall Street Journal to have included a "bawdy" letter allegedly signed by Trump—Maxwell said she could not recall specifics or remember the names of those who contributed. "It's been so long," she remarked, and when asked if Trump submitted a note, she said, "I don't." Trump has denied sending such a letter and is currently suing the Journal for defamation over its report.
The interview also touched on former President Bill Clinton's relationship with Epstein. Trump has repeatedly suggested that Clinton visited Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands—a location notorious for being the site of Epstein's sexual abuse of minors. Maxwell, however, categorically denied that Clinton ever visited the island, stating, "Clinton absolutely never went to the island. And I can be sure of that because there's no way he would've gone—I don't believe there's any way that he would've gone to the island, had I not been there. Because I don't believe he had an independent friendship, if you will, with Epstein. Did they speak? Did he go? Yes, but that's very different from going to spend time on an island." She did acknowledge that Clinton had traveled on Epstein's private jet multiple times.
Maxwell's legal team, led by attorney David Markus, responded to the release of the interview with a robust defense of her credibility and innocence. "Ghislaine Maxwell is innocent and never should have been tried, much less convicted, in this case," Markus said. "The only reason she was ever charged is that she served as a scapegoat after Jeffrey Epstein died in prison. Ms. Maxwell did not receive a fair trial. Jurors lied to get on the jury, and the outcome was tainted from the start. The materials newly released by the Department of Justice make this clear. Ms. Maxwell answered every question. She did not refuse to respond and did not dodge any question. She supported her answers with documents and other objective evidence."
Yet, skepticism about Maxwell's testimony remains widespread. Brittany Henderson, an attorney representing numerous Epstein victims, dismissed Maxwell's statements, saying, "Ghislaine Maxwell was federally indicted on two perjury counts as a result of her testimony during a civil deposition related to a lawsuit. Having been convicted of sex trafficking, she is now in jail presumably hoping that she will receive a pardon from President Trump. I can't imagine that her testimony will be given much weight by anyone with any knowledge whatsoever of her involvement with Jeffrey Epstein." Ranking House Oversight Committee Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia was even more direct, writing, "Ghislaine Maxwell is a convicted sex trafficker and known liar. Her interview with Trump's DOJ lawyer shows she's desperate for a pardon."
The political dimensions of the Epstein files controversy are as tangled as ever. President Trump, when asked by reporters if he supported the DOJ's process of releasing the so-called "Epstein files" to Congress, replied, "I couldn't care less." He continued, "Innocent people shouldn't be hurt, but I'm in support of keeping it totally open." He added a note of caution, though: "You've got a lot of people that could be mentioned in those files that don't deserve to be, you know, people, because he knew everybody in Palm Beach." Trump has repeatedly labeled the controversy as a "Democrat hoax" and accused his political opponents of manufacturing the scandal. At the same time, some Republicans have joined Democrats in calling for full transparency.
Notably, days after the July interview with Maxwell, Trump told reporters that he had the power to pardon her, although no one had asked him to do so. The question of a potential pardon has further fueled speculation about Maxwell's motives and the credibility of her statements.
Shortly after her interview with Blanche, Maxwell was transferred from the low-security federal prison in Tallahassee to the minimum-security Bryan Federal Prison Camp in Texas—a move that drew criticism from Epstein victims and their advocates. The Bryan facility, sometimes dubbed "Club Fed" for its more relaxed conditions, is also home to high-profile inmates such as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Neither Maxwell's attorney nor the Bureau of Prisons has explained the reason for the transfer.
The release of the Maxwell transcripts and the limited batch of Epstein files has done little to quell the controversy. Instead, it has reignited calls for greater transparency and accountability, with both survivors and the public demanding answers about the extent of Epstein's network and the true nature of his relationships with the powerful. As the political wrangling continues, the voices of survivors and their advocates remain at the forefront, pressing for justice and the full truth to come to light.
The saga of Epstein, Maxwell, and the powerful figures in their orbit continues to cast a long shadow over American politics and justice, with each new revelation raising more questions than it answers.
