Ranking Member Robert Garcia, Oversight Democrats, Demand Independent Investigation of Dept. of Justice Transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell
Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led every Oversight Democrat in sending a letter to Department of Justice Acting Inspector General William Blier demanding an independent investigation of the Department of Justice into why convicted sex trafficker and key Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred from a correctional institution in Tallahassee, Florida, to a less restrictive federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas shortly after meeting with Deputy Attorney General, and former Trump personal attorney, Todd Blanche. The newly publicized interview between Maxwell and Blanche sheds light on Maxwell’s lies and attempts to shield President Donald Trump from his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, and raises serious concerns of potential witness tampering. Today, speaking publicly at the Capitol, multiple victims of Epstein and Maxwell strongly criticized the administration's handling of Maxwell. Survivors and advocates have raised concerns that the justice system is “failing victims right before our eyes.”
“It’s disgusting that victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell continue to criticize the Trump Administration’s handling of Maxwell and yet, the Department of Justice continues to reward her. It’s clear from the exchange between Ghislaine Maxwell and Todd Blanche that the Justice Department is being weaponized to protect Donald Trump. Maxwell’s transfer to a cushy lower-security prison seems like a reward for continuing the Donald Trump cover-up,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia. “Any effort to influence or interfere with a witness’s testimony before Congress is unacceptable. Oversight Democrats won’t stop until we get legitimate answers about Maxwell’s prison transfer. The American people deserve nothing less than full transparency.”
This letter to the Department of Justice is an escalation of a previous Oversight Committee demand to the Bureau of Prisons, with the development that the Maxwell and Blanche interview has since been published.
“The American people need clarity as to why Maxwell was transferred in contravention of BOP guidelines, and why Maxwell was transferred only after sitting for an interview with DAG Blanche. The irregular transfer raises suspicions that she received preferential treatment in exchange for her favorable testimony and is profoundly insulting and harmful to Maxwell’s victims. We request that you conduct a thorough and independent review of Maxwell’s transfer to Camp Bryan given the clear evidence suggesting that high-ranking government officials within DOJ or the Executive Office of the President—or President Trump, himself—authorized Maxwell’s transfer in exchange for political favors,” wrote the lawmakers.
Click here to read the letter to DOJ Acting Inspector General William Blier.
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