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Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested for NY Indictment

I did not expect this today. Ghislaine Maxwell, former paramour and business associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested in New Hampshire where she has been temporarily residing, to face charges stemming from her relationship with Epstein.

Maxwell faces charges that include transporting a minor for the purposes of criminal sexual activity and conspiring to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, according to a six-count grand jury indictment that was unsealed earlier in the day.

The Indictment is here. The Government is asking she be held without bond. "In short, Maxwell has three passports, large sums of money, extensive international connections, and absolutely no reason to stay in the United States and face the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence." (From its detention motion"

But what about her immunity agreement? None of the other recruiters Epstein employed who were granted immunity as part of his plea deal have been charged. For example, according to the NY Times, Sarah Kellen (now Sarah Vickers) was "right under" Ghislaine. If I recall correctly, the immunity provision in Epstein's plea agreement only covered the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida. Also, I wonder if Ghislaine has standing to raise immunity conferred by someone else's plea agreement once he's dead? [More...]

As to Kellen:

Ms. Kellen kept the names and numbers of all the girls who gave Mr. Epstein erotic massages, according to Palm Beach police reports and Ms. Robson’s deposition. She would call them whenever Mr. Epstein was in town, asking the girls if they were ready to “work,” the reports and Ms. Robson said.

“She saw herself as the boss,” said Spencer T. Kuvin, a West Palm Beach lawyer who represented several accusers in lawsuits. “Sarah was really running that organization, bringing girls and getting them in and out of the Palm Beach home.”

In the civil suit between Guiffre (Virginia Roberts) and Ghislaine, the court unsealed some documents with some of the gritty details. You can find them here.

As to Prince Andrew, I don't think the Government is seeking to indict him. I think they want to quiz him about Ghislaine and others working for Epstein (or influential people associated with him). But that's just my opinion, I have no inside knowledge.

I also wonder where this leaves Alan Dershowitz, who is still fighting to clear his name. He just changed lawyers in June.

In the civil case in NY, Ghislaine has been represented by Haddon Morgan & Foreman, Denver's estimable civil and criminal defense firm. For that reason, I've read most of the pleadings in the case over the last few years. I don't know who is representing her in the criminal case.

Most importantly, we know that the federal grand jury is back at work in the SDNY, despite coronavirus. The Indictment was returned June 29.

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    I see significant weak points (none / 0) (#1)
    by Peter G on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 02:34:08 PM EST
    in that indictment. It charges what is clearly only one conspiracy in two different counts, and in two other counts it charges a course of conduct over many years under statutes that describe crimes that are committed on particular occasions. This is important because the govt has to prove, with witness testimony or other admissible evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a particular violation (an act of "enticement" or "transportation" of a particular minor) occurred on some specific occasion within the Southern District of New York, rather than in Florida, New Mexico or the Virgin Islands. There are also ambiguities in both the questions asked and the answers given that may prevent those passages from being successfully used as the basis for perjury charges. By the way, J, have you ever seen a federal indictment before that included color photographs (and for no good reason)?

    important? (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 03:50:02 PM EST

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    Elie Honig
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    SDNY just announced the Ghislaine Maxwell case - like the original Epstein case - is staffed by the Public Corruption Unit.

    I worked at SDNY and did sex trafficking cases. They do NOT run out of Public Corruption - unless there is some potential angle against a public official.
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    that might help explain (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Peter G on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 04:12:30 PM EST
    why the indictment under the sex counts is not (IMHO) properly pleaded, and why it includes b/s perjury counts (like a lot of public corruption cases do). Hello, defenders of General Flynn?

    Parent
    Yeah, this is interesting (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 03:54:33 PM EST
    The FBI guy on MSNBC seems to think this is bad news for Acosta.

    Parent
    Theil Capital's Eric Weinstein (none / 0) (#5)
    by jondee on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 04:36:28 PM EST
    who had a meeting with Epstein that left a bad taste in his mouth, has speculated that Epstein may have been set up as a wealthy playboy/philanthropist in order carry on some sort espionage/blackmail op similar to how the spy Eli Cohen worked in Syria in the sixties.


    I have (none / 0) (#7)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 05:46:47 PM EST
    seen a couple of theories about that. Some saying he was a Mossad agent.

    Parent
    I thought for sure (none / 0) (#6)
    by smott on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 05:17:02 PM EST
    SDNY would keep her in some kind of witness protective custody, instead they are seeking incarceration in NY BOPs.
    Can't imagine she will be safe there.

    Is there even a female floor or pod at the (none / 0) (#8)
    by Peter G on Thu Jul 02, 2020 at 08:18:29 PM EST
    federal MCC in Manhattan or the MDC in Brooklyn? I am surprised to realize I don't know. Maybe they put women federal detainees in a state facility. I should know this, but I don't.

    Parent
    She needs to spill everything ASAP (none / 0) (#9)
    by smott on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 09:48:42 AM EST
    To make offing her less valuable....

    Parent
    Jail Guard, Job Notice (maybe) (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by KeysDan on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 11:38:36 AM EST
    Jail Guard Wanted for Federal Prison, Qualifications: Sleepy, not easily aroused. Narcolepsy a plus. If you have experience in falling asleep on your shift, this is a great opportunity. Meet prisoner's celebrity visitors. Temporary position.  Contact: U.S. Department of Justice, at our 800 number. Ask for Bill Barr.

    Parent
    Speaking of small worlds.. (none / 0) (#12)
    by jondee on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 04:18:10 PM EST
    Bill's father Donald was Epstein's boss at The Dalton School.

    And in the even smaller world department, Barr Sr once wrote a novel called Space Relations about a group of oligarchs involved in child sex slavery.

    Parent

    and Epstein's brother (none / 0) (#20)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Jul 05, 2020 at 03:07:36 PM EST
    Mark is adamant that Trump flew on Epstein's plane and testified to that under oath at a deposition. Trump denies ever being on the plane, and the flight logs don't name him (as opposed to the pink phone messages which have a bunch of calls from Trump to Epstein)-- but the plane logs apparently are not complete.

    Photographs and videos show Epstein and Trump posing together at the mansion in 1992, 1997 and 2000. The two were also pictured together, with model Ingrid Seynhaeve, in 1997 at a Victoria's Secret party in New York City.

    Around that time, Trump flew at least once, in the late 1990s or 2000, on Epstein's private plane from Florida to New York, according to Epstein's brother, Mark, who described the flight in a 2009 deposition.

    In an interview last week with The Post, Mark Epstein said Trump flew on the plane "numerous times" but said he was only present for one flight.



    Parent
    Idiot son number 2 (none / 0) (#11)
    by MO Blue on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 03:46:49 PM EST
    Had the brilliant idea to show a photo of Maxwell In the audience of Chelsea Clinton's wedding on Twitter. Needless to  say, it did not go well. The response...numerous photos of Trump partying with Maxwell and Epstein.

    Eric Trump Deletes Tweet After Getting A Savage Reminder About His Father

    Trump definitely (none / 0) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 05:41:30 PM EST
    does NOT know her

    This guy is spooky.

    Parent

    I can't watch him do this. (none / 0) (#17)
    by leap on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 07:08:45 PM EST
    I just listen to him, and he's pretty amazing. He's got FatNixon down perfectly -- his sound, inflections, pauses, phrases & words, nonsense blather.

    Parent
    This is an interesting photo (none / 0) (#14)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 05:46:41 PM EST
    Almost every picture she is beaming that electric smile.  Very attractive lady.  

    this photo not so much.

    You (none / 0) (#15)
    by FlJoe on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 06:09:45 PM EST
    would would think Alan"I kept my underwear on" Dershowitz would sit this one out, but nooo
    Just a day after Jeffrey Epstein's alleged "madam" Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI, attorney Alan Dershowitz penned an impassioned defense of the British socialite that seemed to suggest he's rooting for her.


    Yes (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Jul 03, 2020 at 06:36:51 PM EST
    really amazing he went there but then who on earth believed his underwear story?

    Parent
    It was an old Russian woman.. (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by jondee on Sun Jul 05, 2020 at 12:03:34 PM EST
    isn't that Dersh said?

    With gnarled fingers and smelling of turnips and garlic, so Alan wouldn't be forced to take off his underwear.

    Parent

    Oh ick! (none / 0) (#19)
    by leap on Sun Jul 05, 2020 at 02:23:59 PM EST
    n/t

    Parent
    Who's afraid of Ghislaine Maxwell (none / 0) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 05, 2020 at 07:33:00 PM EST
    Interesting (none / 0) (#22)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Jul 05, 2020 at 08:12:33 PM EST
    that they never mentioned Trump in that article who had as long a relationship with Epstein as Wexner did. I think Barr is hiding the details.

    Parent