Who is Ghislaine Maxwell? DOJ turns to Jeffrey Epstein's ex-partner.

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As the Trump administration battles calls to release its files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it has turned its attention to Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking a minor to Epstein for sexual abuse.

The Justice Department and FBI said earlier this month that they won't be releasing their Epstein-related files. Pressure has mounted since then for the administration to reconsider, including from members of President Donald Trump's own base who were bitterly disappointed by the announcement.

The administration continues to stick by its stance on the files, but has called for federal courts to release grand jury testimony in related investigations including Maxwell's case.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a July 22 statement that he was communicated with a lawyer for Maxwell and anticipated meeting with her "in the coming days." DOJ Epstein died awaiting a sex-trafficking trial in 2019, leaving Maxwell as potentially the best remaining source for uncovering hidden secrets about people who may have colluded with Epstein.

Maxwell was Epstein's girlfriend for years and has been accused of recruiting minors for the disgraced financier's predation. Her lengthy relationship with Epstein and role in his efforts to sexually target minor girls raises the question of whether she knows of others who could have been involved in a sex-trafficking ring with Epstein.

Maxwell maintains her innocence and is appealing her 2021 sex-trafficking conviction.

Here's what to know:

Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?

Maxwell, born in England, is the daughter of a prominent British media mogul, Robert Maxwell. Ghislaine Maxwell grew up in riches and joined London's high-end social scene after earning a university degree from Oxford. When her father died, allegations emerged that he had engaged in business mismanagement and malfeasance. Maxwell subsequently moved to New York City, according to the Guardian.

In the 1990s, Maxwell dated Epstein, who had worked as a financial consultant. Many who knew them together have characterized her as a socialite who provided Epstein with smoother access to the well-connected, and who also supervised his staff.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking a minor to Epstein for sexual abuse.

She currently has an appeal pending at the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that she should have been shielded from her charges by a deal Epstein struck in 2008, when he agreed to plead guilty to soliciting minors for prostitution in Florida state court.

What was Maxwell convicted of doing?

In 2021, Maxwell was charged by a federal grand jury with helping Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse minor girls from about 1994 to about 2004, including girls as young as 14 years old.

Maxwell attempted to befriend some of the victims, taking them to the movies or shopping, according to the charges. She would then try to normalize sexual abuse by discussing sexual topics with them, encouraging them to provide Epstein with massages, or being present for sex acts between them and Epstein.

After a month-long trial, a jury found Maxwell guilty of conspiring to entice and transport minors for illegal sex acts and of sex trafficking a minor.

Maxwell has long maintained she is innocent of her charges.

Why is the Justice Department approaching Maxwell?

The Justice Department and a lawyer for Maxwell say they are talking amidst demands for transparency surrounding Epstein, who died awaiting his own sex-trafficking trial in 2019. The nature of the communication – and whether the administration is exploring offering Maxwell a deal – is unclear. Trump has the power to pardon Maxwell fully as well as to commute her prison sentence.

In a memo released July 7, the department said it didn't uncover any "client list" of Epstein associates involved in a sex-trafficking ring, and wouldn't be releasing its Epstein-related files to the public.

That provoked the ire of Trump's base because members of his inner circle have for years suggested the government was hiding secrets on Epstein that Trump, if re-elected, could reveal.

Trump's own attorney general, Pam Bondi, spent months promising greater transparency on Epstein.

"It's a new day, it's a new administration, and everything's going to come out to the public," she told Fox News host Sean Hannity in March, describing "thousands of pages" of documents.

The department appears to be shifting its focus to Maxwell amidst the persistent uproar that has followed its July memo.

David Oscar Markus, Maxwell's lawyer, confirmed in his own July 22 statement on X that he is talking with the government.

Asked by a reporter July 22 if he supported the Justice Department's move to interview her, Trump said it "sounds appropriate to do" while also calling the ongoing issue "sort of a witch hunt."

'I've met her numerous times over the years': Trump's relationship with Maxwell

Trump and Epstein were friends for over a decade, often spotted together at parties. Trump rode on Epstein's private jet at least seven times. Trump told New York magazine in 2002 that Epstein is a "Terrific guy."

“He’s a lot of fun to be with," Tump said. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."

Maxwell was arrested in July of 2020, while Trump was serving his first term as president. When he was asked by a reporter that month if Maxwell might turn in powerful men, potentially to cut a deal with prosecutors, he said he didn't know, but that he had warm wishes for her.

"I don't know. I haven't really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly," Trump said. "I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach."

Maxwell compiled a leather-bound book for Epstein's 50th birthday in early 2003 that included a lewd letter from Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Trump denies he wrote the letter and has sued the Journal for libel.

Trump's friendship with Epstein ended around 2004, at about the time they battled over an oceanfront Palm Beach mansion, according to the Washington Post. Trump told a former aide that he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club. Virginia Giuffre, a then-17 years old Mar-a-Lago employeed alleged that in 2000 Maxwell recruited her from there for sex work under the guise of a masseuse job.

“It’s not news that Epstein was a member of the Mar A Lago club, because it’s the same club Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of for being a creep," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Paste BN in a statement.

New disclosures or distractions?

The news about approaching Maxwell comes as Republican leadership is resisting ongoing pressure for an immediate, fuller view of the government's Epstein files.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, co-sponsored legislation last week to release the government's Epstein records, with redactions to protect victims, active investigations, and the national defense.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, announced on July 22 he is shutting down the House for summer recess early to avoid a vote on the measure. Johnson there was "no daylight" between the Trump administration and the House, and the White House needs "space" to address the issue.

But whether Maxwell offers anything to satisfy the public outrage could depend on what's in it for her.

The president has the power to grant her clemency, ranging from a full pardon of her federal conviction to simply commuting her 20-year prison sentence. But to many, that might look more like reducing than enhancing accountability – especially if Maxwell offers little in return.

And if Maxwell had major information she was willing to offer, she's never discussed that with federal prosecutors before, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

"Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government," Blanche said in his July 22 statement. "That changes now."