According to news from 24th, the name of President Trump has been repeatedly exposed in a batch of federal court documents related to Epstein’s case, once again shaking the political landscape with the aftershocks of this old case.
On this critical moment, on Thursday (24th) local time, Todd Blanche, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, met with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is also serving her sentence for being an accomplice and former girlfriend of Epstein.
It is noteworthy that not only is Blanche the second-in-command at the Department of Justice but he also served as Trump’s chief lawyer, defending him against “sham” payments. The close relationship between them makes his involvement in the Epstein case inevitably raise doubts.
In the eyes of legal experts, although Blanche’s dual role does not constitute an official conflict of interest, his involvement in the case conceals numerous potential risks and complex issues.
Legal experts pointed out that during the meeting, Blanche had to carefully balance his dual responsibilities: On one hand, as an official of the Department of Justice, he needed to do his utmost to obtain information from Maxwell to protect public interests; on the other hand, as a former lawyer of Trump, he had to deal with any potentially embarrassing content she might reveal about Trump.
“This matter should be handled by someone who is indifferent to the outcome,” Bruce Green, a law ethics professor at Fordham Law School in New York, said, “The problem with Blanche is that he obviously cannot remain neutral. Not only because he was Trump’s lawyer, but also because he could occupy such a high position in the Department of Justice thanks to Trump’s appointment.”
On July 24th local time, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Blanche, went to the meeting location.
On-site video screenshot
It is reported that after Trump’s reelection, he broke political tradition by appointing several lawyers who had defended him to key positions within the Department of Justice. This decision has been widely criticized, with suggestions that it could alienate the nation’s highest law enforcement agency into a “private law firm for the president,” violating its original purpose.
Following the sudden dismissal of prosecutor Maureen Comey, who led the investigation into Epstein and his related cases, Bramble began to intervene in the Maxwell case. “This is just another example of such risks, and it seems extremely unusual,” she said.
As per custom, communication with Maxwell does not require the involvement of the second-in-command at the Department of Justice; this position should focus on institutional management, typically handled by the department’s professional lawyers. More unusually, Bramble personally signed an application requesting that Manhattan federal judges disclose the grand jury testimony in the Maxwell case.
In addition to these “unusual” actions, Bramble has also developed a close personal relationship with Maxwell’s attorney, David O. Markus.
In response to these controversies, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment on Bramble’s role in the case.
It is reported that Bramble flew to Tallahassee, Florida, under pressure from outsiders to release more information about the Epstein case. The meeting took place in a local federal court, lasting six hours.
Several sources revealed that the meeting was initiated by Maxwell himself. In 2022, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking charges and is currently serving his sentence in a federal prison in Tallahassee, where he is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The image above shows Epstein and Maxwell.
After the meeting on Thursday, Maxwell’s attorney, Marcus, stated that Maxwell had a “very fruitful” conversation with Bramble, who “answered all questions truthfully and accurately.”
Outside the courthouse, Marcus said, “He (Bramble) spent the entire day asking many questions, and Ms. Maxwell answered each one.” However, he declined to disclose the specific content of Bramble’s questions, only stating that he and Maxwell were “grateful for this meeting.”
When asked if Maxwell might be eligible for pardon or sentence reduction, Marcus replied, “There is no commitment at this time regarding that. She is just answering questions.”
Meanwhile, Bramble posted on X, “Today (24th), I met with Maxwell. The Department of Justice will share more information when appropriate.” He also revealed that he would meet with Maxwell again on Friday.
Around 9 a.m. that same day, as Bramble arrived at the federal court, when asked if there was anything he wanted to say before the meeting, he shook his head and said “nothing to report.”