Tag: Jeffrey Epstein

Trump on accused sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell: “I wish her well”

President Trump said he wished alleged sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell “well” during a White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday. Maxwell, the former girlfriend of financier Jeffrey Epstein, is accused of recruiting girls in the 1990s for Epstein to sexually abuse during massage sessions she sometimes participated in at his Manhattan mansion and in Palm Beach, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and London.

Mr. Trump was asked about her case and whether she should turn in other powerful men such as Britain’s Prince Andrew, who U.S. authorities want to speak to. 

“I don’t know, I really haven’t been following it too much,” he said. “I just wish her well, frankly. I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach… But I wish her well, whatever it is.” 

Mr. Trump and his wife Melania were seen in photos with Epstein and Maxwell in the 2000s. Mr. Trump and Epstein both own property on Palm Beach. 

Maxwell, 58, is facing criminal charges from allegations that she facilitated and participated in some of Epstein’s alleged sex crimes. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and was denied bail last week. Maxwell has been held without bail since her July 2 arrest and will remain behind bars until trial.

Epstein, 66, took his life last August at a Manhattan federal jail while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. 

Maxwell could face 35 years in prison if convicted on six criminal counts, including four for allegedly transporting minors for sexual assaults. 

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s alleged victims, told “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King last week that Maxwell was the “mastermind” behind the alleged sex trafficking. 

“She is a monster,” Giuffre said. “She’s worse than Epstein. She did things even worse than Epstein did. She was vicious. She was evil. And she’s a woman.” 

Giuffre said Maxwell, along with Epstein, groomed and abused her and forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17. Prince Andrew said he has no recollection of meeting Giuffre and denies having sex with her.

[CBS News]

Trump defends promoting conspiracy theory about Epstein’s death: ‘It was a retweet’


President Trump on Tuesday defended promoting a baseless conspiracy theory that ties the Clintons to the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, saying it was “fine” because he was only retweeting what someone else said.

“The retweet — which is what it was, it was a retweet — was from somebody that is a very respected conservative pundit. So I think it was fine,” Trump told reporters before heading to Pennsylvania for a speech.

Asked later if he truly believes the Clintons are involved in Epstein’s death, Trump said “I have no idea” before pointing to former President Bill Clinton‘s relationship with the disgraced financier.

Trump, who ran in the same social circles with Epstein before he said they had a falling out, said he would like there to be a “full investigation” into the convicted sex offender’s death.

“I want a full investigation and that’s what I absolutely am demanding,” Trump said.

Trump on Saturday shared a tweet from Terrence K. Williams that blamed Epstein’s death on Bill and Hillary Clinton without providing any evidence. 

The tweet included the hashtags #ClintonBodyCount and #ClintonCrimeFamily, as well as a photo of both the former president and former secretary of State.

Attorney General William Barr said Monday that Justice Department officials will thoroughly investigate “serious irregularities” at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide over the weekend.

Epstein was found dead early Saturday in his jail cell in the New York federal prison, where he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He had been a registered sex offender following an earlier conviction in 2008 of soliciting sex from underage girls.

Trump and Epstein were known to run in the same social circles in New York and Florida. Trump told New York magazine in a 2002 article that Epstein is a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with.”

The president said last month in the wake of fresh charges against Epstein that the two had a falling out 15 years ago.

“I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him. I mean, people in Palm Beach knew him,” Trump said a day after the charges against Epstein were unsealed. “He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn’t a fan.” 

[The Hill]

Trump retweets post promoting conspiracy theory about Jeffrey Epstein’s death

President Trump on Saturday retweeted a post promoting a conspiracy theory about Jeffrey Epstein‘s death. 

The tweet, by Twitter user Terrence K. Williams, blamed the death on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Clinton and does not provide evidence. 

The tweet included the hashtags #ClintonBodyCount and #ClintonCrimeFamily, as well as a photo of both the former president and former secretary of State. Conspiracy theories linking the death to both the Clinton and Trump himself trended Saturday on Twitter. 

Bill Clinton‘s spokesman Angel Ureña responded by writing “Ridiculous, and of course not true — and Donald Trump knows it. Has he triggered the 25th Amendment yet?”

The Hill has attempted to reach the White House and Hillary Clinton for comment.

Officials on Saturday said that Epstein, who had been indicted on sex-trafficking charges, died overnight by an apparent suicide while in jail.

Epstein, a registered sex offender, was arrested last month and was awaiting trial. 

He has been linked to both Trump and Bill Clinton, but both have denied wrongdoing in their meetings with the financier.

[The Hill]

Trump Official Lynne Patton Promotes Clinton Conspiracy in Jeffrey Epstein Suicide

Lynne Patton, the head of New York and New Jersey’s Housing and Urban Development, promoted a Hillary Clinton conspiracy theory in the wake of Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide.

At around 6:30 a.m. on August 10, Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Epstein is believed to have killed himself by hanging. At the time of his death, Epstein was not on suicide watch. A few weeks earlier, it was widely reported that Epstein had attempted suicide in his cell.

Epstein was 66 years old. Epstein, a financier, was arrested in July 2019 and accused of sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. Epstein’s connections to the political and business worlds had led to his case becoming front page news across the world.

Shortly after news of Epstein’s arrest spread, Patton posted this to her Instagram page.

The caption for the post read, “Hillary’d!! 😳P.S. Let me know when I’m supposed to feel badly about this… #VinceFosterPartTwo.” On that Instagram page, Patton says of herself, “Longtime Trump Aide | RNC Speaker | Posts are my own & do not represent @HUDgov, incl. all images, links, tags & comments left by readers | NY ✈️ DC.” 

The reference to Vince Foster is regarding Bill Clinton’s former White House counsel who committed suicide in July 1993, six months after Clinton took office. Five separate investigations ruled Foster’s death a suicide. Despite this, conspiracy theories regarding a Clinton-led cover-up remain to this day.

NBC News’ Tom Winter tweeted about Epstein suicide considering he had been on suicide watch saying, “It is really incomprehensible how Jeffrey Epstein was allowed to be in a position where he could hang himself. High-profile defendant. Previous attempt at injuring himself. Dozens of victims seeking justice they now won’t get. The law enforcement community is steaming.”

Conservative talk show host Andrew Wilkow reiterated the Clinton conspiracy theory in a tweet that read, “#JeffreyEpstein attempted suicide before, was he or was he not suicide watch? If not who decided to give him another chance? This has the Clinton’s fingerprints all over it.”

Less than two hours after Epstein’s suicide was announced, the term “ClintonBodyCount” became a trending topic on Twitter. As did the phrase “Another Clinton.”

[Heavy]