Ghislaine Maxwell told US authorities there is no secret “Epstein client list.”
She denied witnessing any misconduct by Donald Trump or Bill Clinton.
Maxwell dismissed allegations against Prince Andrew as “not conceivable.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has told US authorities that a widely discussed “client list” linked to Epstein does not exist.
According to BBC, Maxwell made the comments during an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July. She also stated that she did not witness any inappropriate conduct by former US Presidents Donald Trump or Bill Clinton.
In the transcripts, which run to 300 pages and are heavily redacted, Maxwell described Trump and Epstein as friendly in social settings but said she did not consider them close friends. She said she had never seen Trump in any massage-related setting and described him as “a gentleman in all respects” during her interactions. Maxwell also said she did not recall Trump sending Epstein a note for his 50th birthday in 2003.
The interview also addressed conspiracy theories surrounding a so-called “client list” of high-profile figures. Maxwell denied introducing Epstein to prominent individuals including Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Kevin Spacey, and Naomi Campbell. “There is no list,” she told BBC.
Maxwell also commented on Prince Andrew’s alleged relationship with an underage woman. She described allegations that sexual activity occurred in her home as “mind-blowingly not conceivable” and said a widely circulated photograph of Prince Andrew with the woman was fake. According to BBC, Maxwell suggested that it was Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, rather than herself, who introduced Prince Andrew to Epstein.
The Duke of York previously reached a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse when she was 17. Giuffre took her own life earlier this year. Maxwell’s interview has been criticised by Giuffre’s family, who said her testimony cannot be trusted, reported BBC.
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, has petitioned the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. Her legal team has stated they would “welcome” a pardon from former President Trump. Shortly after her interview with Blanche, Maxwell was transferred from a Florida prison to a low-security facility in Texas, although the reasons for the move remain unclear. The White House has said no leniency is being considered, BBC reported.
During her testimony, Maxwell also addressed her relationship with Epstein, stating that they had a sexual relationship that ended years before his death, although she continued to receive payments from him until 2009. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell told BBC she does not believe Epstein was murdered, dismissing conspiracy theories about his death.
Earlier this year, reports indicated that Trump was informed by the US Attorney General that his name appeared in Epstein’s investigation files. Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and he has alternated between pledging transparency and dismissing further inquiries, according to BBC.
(With inputs from BBC)
