Epstein associate Maxwell says she never saw Trump behave inappropriately

WASHINGTON - Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, told a top Justice Department official in July that she never saw President Donald Trump in an “inappropriate setting”, according to a transcript of an interview released on Aug 22.

“I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way,” Maxwell said, according to the transcript of her two-day interview in July with Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche.

“The President was never inappropriate with anybody.”

Maxwell also told Mr Blanche that she was not aware of any “client list” of Epstein’s.

Epstein’s friendships with wealthy and powerful individuals have fuelled conspiracy theories that others were involved with his crimes, but no one other than he and Maxwell have been charged with crimes.

The Justice Department's publication of the interview comes as Mr Trump has

faced criticism from his conservative base of supporters

and congressional Democrats over the Justice Department's decision not to release the files from its Epstein investigation. 

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.

Maxwell is

serving a 20-year sentence

after her 2021 sex trafficking conviction. Prosecutors said she recruited underage girls for Epstein to abuse during encounters that began as massages and then escalated into unwanted sexual activity. She has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.

Mr Trump knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s. During the 2021 trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier’s longtime pilot, Mr Lawrence Visoski, testified that Mr Trump flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times. Mr Trump has denied flying on the plane.

Maxwell told Mr Blanche she never saw Mr Trump receive a massage.

“As far as I’m concerned, President Trump was always very cordial and very kind to me,” Maxwell said, according to the transcript. “And I just want to say that I admire his extraordinary achievement in becoming the President now.” REUTERS