Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday he expects to meet with convicted sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell "in the coming days."
It's a stunning turn, coming weeks after the Justice Department (DOJ) put out a memo arguing the Epstein case was essentially closed. GOP lawmakers and MAGA allies have rejected that memo and maintained calls for more information.
Why now?: It appears the Trump administration is feeling the pressure of the mounting scandal. According to Blanche, the DOJ is now meeting with Maxwell to ask her, "What do you know?"
🚨 Plus: A House panel just voted to subpoena Maxwell. What we know
Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking charges.
How did this meeting come about?: Blanche said Attorney General Pam Bondi directed him to do so. Bondi has been facing rising scrutiny over her agency's memo earlier this month, which refuted years of MAGA World theories questioning whether he died by suicide or had a "client list."
Bondi has defended her agency's handling of the Epstein case and shared Blanche's statement about the Maxwell outreach to her X account Tuesday.
"President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say," the statement read.
"Get it," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in response.
Just now — Trump was asked about this Maxwell meeting: "I don't know anything about it," Trump said while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, adding, "I think it's something that sounds appropriate to do."
Has Maxwell agreed to this meeting?: Maxwell's attorney indicated today that she is open to a meeting.
Keep in mind: Earlier this year, Maxwell asked the Supreme Court to review her case. Just last week, the DOJ had urged the court to reject that appeal. Now, the DOJ is requesting a meeting with Maxwell herself.
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