Live Updates
Justice Department releases transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview
By Hannah Rabinowitz, Kara Scannell, Katelyn Polantz, Veronica Stracqualursi, Clare Foran, Dan Berman, Aditi Sangal, Elise Hammond, Kaanita Iyer and Marshall Cohen, CNN
Updated 5:26 PM EDT, Fri August 22, 2025
Below is a related video from Forbes:
Trump claims he didn’t know or approve Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison transfer (see on original article)… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6y9EPzlQmM
What we’re covering here
• Maxwell transcript: The Justice Department has released a transcript of the interview that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted with Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. You can read the full transcript here.
• Terms of the interview: The Justice Department gave Maxwell limited immunity so that she could discuss her criminal case but did not promise any other benefits in exchange for her testimony, according to the transcript.
• Trump and Epstein: In the transcript, Maxwell said she never witnessed anything untoward in Donald Trump’s friendship with Epstein and never heard of any allegations that he acted inappropriately. Shortly before the release, Trump told reporters that he supported transparency in the case.
• Records transfer: Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has received the first batch of records related to Epstein from the Justice Department, and it contains “thousands of pages of documents,” a spokesperson said this afternoon.
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Read the full transcript of Blanche’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell
Scroll below to read the full transcript of the interview that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted with Ghislaine Maxwell.
Here’s the latest round of top lines from Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview with the Justice Department
From CNN’s Aditi Sangal, Casey Gannon, Katelyn Polantz, Kara Scannell, Marshall Cohen, Sarah Ferris, Kristen Holmes and Alayna Treene
This undated trial evidence image obtained December 8, 2021, from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York shows Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.US District Court for the Southern District of New York
We are recapping the key findings from the released 337-page transcript of the interview that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted with Ghislaine Maxwell last month.
Here’s the latest batch of updates:
No client list: Maxwell said there is no Epstein client list, and gave an explanation, which seemed to confuse Blanche.
Birthday book: She referred to her notes as she tried to recount different financial clients that Epstein kept. When Blanche asked about the notes, Maxwell’s attorney responded, “not the birthday book,” appearing to crack a joke about a reported collection of letters Maxwell had compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday that included one bearing Donald Trump’s name. Trump has repeatedly denied writing the letter and sued The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the letter, for defamation.
Bizarre exchange: Maxwell acknowledged that Epstein preferred younger women, of legal age, but said he liked them not because of anything sexual but because they were “invigorating” and “up to date on music” and brought new “ideas” to the table.
Bill Clinton: Maxwell said to her knowledge that the former president never received a massage while in her presence and never went to Epstein’s private island.
Admiring Trump: Maxwell complimented Trump for “his extraordinary achievement” of becoming president. She said she only visited Mar-a-Lago once or twice, for an event, alone. Epstein, who she described to be in closer touch with Trump than her, visited separately.
Meanwhile, in the present-day Trump world: The president’s team discussed releasing the audio and transcripts for several weeks, officials familiar with the matter told CNN. Many in the administration argued against resurfacing the Epstein story, but others insisted that releasing the material would help them better control the narrative.
Read more: Live updates: Justice Department releases transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview | CNN PoliticsContinue/Read Original Article Here: Live updates: Justice Department releases transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview | CNN Politics
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