The more I read about Jeffrey Epstein’s decades of crimes against children, the more upset I am about Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is usually referred to as Epstein’s “closest friend” or “enabler” or “co-conspirator.” But man, she was so much more than that. She was a vital part of Epstein’s whole trafficking organization and likely his blackmail organization too. Maxwell was the one procuring children – kidnapping/trafficking children, surely – for Epstein to abuse. Maxwell was the one persuading children and young women to come with her, to meet and be abused by Epstein and Prince Andrew and whoever else. Well, guess what? In the wake of Epstein’s mystery death, no one knows where Maxwell is. ARE YOU JOKING.
Is it possible prosecutors have lost track of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged co-conspirator in his pedophile ring? For the past few weeks, rumors have circulated that she’s 400 pounds and living in Florida, or that she’s living the high life in London or the Continent, but according to the Washington Post, authorities are having a hard time locating her. Those who know her say that it’s possible she is as much of a Houdini as Epstein. Both of them liked having secrets, and the way those secrets kept people off balance. “Jeffrey always wanted to give the impression that he was an international man of mystery—‘I control everyone and everything, I collect people, I own people, I can damage people,’” says an ex-girlfriend.
The nature of the relationship between Epstein and Maxwell, the favorite daughter of embezzling press baron Robert Maxwell, who died when he fell or was pushed from his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, is not well known. Multiple victims claim she was both part of the sex trafficking ring, often bringing girls to Epstein, and a sexual participant. But Epstein told of-age women he courted that Maxwell was a former girlfriend fallen on hard times, and that he had taken it upon himself to maintain her position in society. “Ghislaine floated in and out of the house with the keys, and even though Jeffrey told me they didn’t have a sexual relationship, she’d drop under her breath that she was sleeping in his bed from time to time,” says an ex-girlfriend.
On the weekends in the 1990s, Maxwell would have her Rollerblades FedExed to Epstein’s island in the Caribbean, and said she got her helicopter’s license so she could transport anyone she liked without pilots knowing who they were. Maxwell also said the island had been completely wired for video; the friend thought that she and Epstein were videotaping everyone on the island as an insurance policy, as blackmail. A source close to Maxwell says she spoke glibly and confidently about getting girls to sexually service Epstein, saying this was simply what he wanted, and describing the way she’d drive around to spas and trailer parks in Florida to recruit them. She would claim she had a phone job for them, “and you’ll make lots of money, meet everyone, and I’ll change your life.” The source continues, “Ghislaine was in love with Jeffrey the way she was in love with her father. She always thought if she just did one more thing for him, to please him, he would marry her.”
Maxwell had one other thing to tell this woman: “When I asked what she thought of the underage girls, she looked at me and said, ‘they’re nothing, these girls. They are trash.’”
VF has additional (gross) details about Maxwell and Epstein’s toxic, crazy relationship but I couldn’t read much more. Federal authorities are still investigating, and of course it’s possible that IF Maxwell is found, she will eventually be charged with her crimes, possibly felony conspiracy and who knows what else. The FBI also just conducted a raid on Epstein’s private island. They’re still gathering evidence.
I know lawyers often comment on this blog, so I have a question: what happens to Epstein’s money, if and when the feds untangle his financials? My assumption has been that Epstein’s victims could seek restitution from his estate, but will that actually happen?
Photos courtesy of Getty.
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