"Maxwell Played a Critical role in Helping Epstein"

Audrey Strauss, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York unveils the charges against Epstein Co-Conspirator and Partner Ghislaine Maxwell

Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and heiress who became a confidante of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who has been previously implicated in his sexual crimes, was arrested by the FBI this morning.

(Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attend a charity event on March 15, 2005 in New York City. Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan, via Getty Images.)

Maxwell was taken into custody in Bedford, New Hampshire just after 8:00 am/ET on charges relating to her alleged conspiracy with Jeffrey Epstein. The six-count indictment in Manhattan federal court alleges that Maxwell helped Epstein groom girls as young as 14 years old, going back as far as 1994. Maxwell is expected to appear in federal magistrate court in the district of New Hampshire later today.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges against Ghislaine Maxwell, ex-girlfriend and associate of the late accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a joint press conference with the FBI and New York law enforcement who helped to secure her arrest.

(Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, speaks to the media at a press conference to announce the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell on July 02, 2020 in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.)

Audrey Strauss, the newly appointed acting U.S. attorney who was appointed after Donald Trump and William Barr ousted her predecessor Geoffrey Berman in mid-June, led the press conference.

Strauss told reporters, "This case against Ghislaine Maxwell is the prequel to the earlier case we brought against Jeffrey Epstein." The indictment against Maxwell alleges that "In some instances, Maxwell was present for and participated in the sexual abuse of minor victims."

The FBI said that it had been tracking her movements for some time, and Strauss confirmed that while the indictment was handed down only recently, law enforcement had been discreetly tracking her movements. Strauss went on to tell reporters that while Maxwell continued to lead a luxurious lifestyle, authorities moved on the arrest after she had "slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire.”

(From left, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. Photo by Davidoff Studios, via Getty Images.)

Maxwell is accused of luring vulnerable girls to Epstein’s circle from at least 1994-1997. She allegedly assisted Epstein by helping to “recruit, entice and groom victims under the age of 17.” According to SDNY prosecutors, Maxwell purportedly lied to law enforcement about the extent of her activities and her involvement with Epstein when asked about her conduct by authorities in 2016.

Epstein, a registered sex offender who nonetheless kept company with presidents and captains of industry, was arrested last summer on new federal charges of exploiting dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida in the early 2000s. 

Epstein attempted suicide in custody in late July 2019, and then died after another apparent suicide attempt a few weeks later in early August. Two of the guards tasked with monitoring Epstein now face federal charges for not properly supervising him before his death. 

One day before his suicide, a federal appeals court released the transcript of a 2016 deposition in which Epstein repeatedly refused to say whether Maxwell had procured young girls for him. As a result, Maxwell now faces multiple counts of perjury for allegedly lying in her own deposition about Epstein's sexual activities.

The daughter of media baron Robert Maxwell, Ghislaine was a one-time girlfriend of Epstein's and was at the investor's side for decades. She is also alleged to have helped Epstein groom teen girls for sex with the rich and powerful that includes the likes of Prince Andrew.

(Attorney Alan Dershowitz is pictured with long-time friend and often client Jeffrey Epstein in New York City. Photo by Rick Friedman, via Getty Images.)

One of the teen victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre and a number of other women have since leveled civil charges against Maxwell in a 2015 defamation suit that includes famous attorney to the rich, Alan Dershowitz. Dershowitz is also currently counter suing Giuffre for defamation.

In answering questions in today’s press conference, Audrey Strauss confirmed that suspects often go on to cooperate with authorities after being charged and then become witnesses for charges against others. Strauss went on to say that her office is “perfectly prepared” for that eventuality with Maxwell.

When Strauss was asked about her office’s intent to question Prince Andrew about the accusations leveled against him in Civil Court, she said, “we would like to have the benefit of his statement.” Strauss declined to offer more comments on the Duke of York but did tell the press, “We welcome Prince Andrew coming in to talk to us...our doors remain open.”

(Audrey Strauss, speaks to the media at a press conference to announce the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell on July 02, 2020 in New York City. Photo by Spencer Platt, via Getty Images.)

Strauss went on to confirm that it is the intent of her office to pursue prison time for Maxwell with these charges saying, “We will be seeking detention.” Strauss then concluded her statement by saying, “Maxwell lied because the truth, as alleged, was almost unspeakable.” Strauss went on to say, “She set the trap. She pretended to be a woman they could trust.”

Prosecutors at today’s conference were particularly aware that girls and women are often blamed for becoming victims of sexual abuse and frequently blame themselves for what happened. Federal authorities made a particular point today of speaking directly to the victims in order to reassure them that they had no role in the alleged crimes perpetrated by Epstein and Maxwell.

Speaking to the victims of both Epstein and Maxwell, William Sweeney, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said, “There never was nor shall there be an excuse for the criminal behavior you were subjected to.”

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Amee Vanderpool writes the “Shero and a Scholar” Newsletter and is an attorney, published author contributor to newspaper and magazines and analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.