WASHINGTON — Ghislaine Maxwell, the disgraced socialite serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, spoke at length about her ties to former President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and her view of Epstein’s death in newly released transcripts of her proffer sessions with the Department of Justice. She also addressed persistent rumors of a secret “list” of Epstein’s powerful associates, calling the notion a myth.
Click here to listen to the interview.
The interviews, conducted July 24–25, 2025, under a proffer agreement, mark the first time Maxwell has directly addressed federal investigators since her conviction. The transcripts provide a rare glimpse into her perspective on Epstein’s network and the scandals that continue to swirl around his name.
Maxwell on Donald Trump
Maxwell said her connections to Trump predated her relationship with Epstein. She recalled that in 1990, while helping her father Robert Maxwell with business matters in New York, she may have briefly met Trump. “My father was friendly with him and liked him very much,” she told investigators, adding that her father also admired Ivana Trump.
She acknowledged attending events at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort but denied recruiting women there on Epstein’s behalf. “I really don’t believe it’s true,” she said when pressed about allegations that she approached women at the property. “In the realm of possibility, it could have [happened], but I have no memory of it”.
Maxwell on Bill Clinton
Maxwell described Clinton as a figure Epstein “greatly admired” and sought to impress. She said she saw Clinton at charity and academic gatherings but insisted he was “never inappropriate” and “never a participant” in Epstein’s sexual misconduct.
Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private jet for philanthropic work but denied wrongdoing. Maxwell’s comments, while echoing his denials, underscore Epstein’s desire to cultivate relationships with political elites.
Maxwell on Jeffrey Epstein’s Death
The transcripts show Maxwell voicing deep skepticism about Epstein’s official cause of death. “I don’t believe he killed himself,” she told investigators. She suggested Epstein “had many enemies” and said there were “too many coincidences” surrounding the circumstances of his 2019 death in federal custody.
While she did not accuse anyone directly, Maxwell’s doubts echoed the widespread suspicion that Epstein’s death was not self-inflicted.
Maxwell on the Rumored ‘List’
Investigators also asked Maxwell about the long-rumored “list” of Epstein’s friends and associates — sometimes described in media accounts as a supposed ledger of influential figures tied to his activities. Maxwell dismissed the idea outright.
“I never kept such a list, and I never saw one,” she said, calling the notion a “media invention.” She added that Epstein’s social circle was broad and well-known through public appearances, flight logs, and society pages, but insisted there was no secret document cataloging who might have been complicit.
“People have imagined this massive hidden record,” she said, “but it simply didn’t exist in the way it has been described.”
Distancing Herself from Epstein
Maxwell continued to dispute prosecutors’ characterization of Epstein’s multimillion-dollar transfers to her. She claimed the money was tied to loans, business deals, and investments, not payments for recruiting underage girls. She described flipping real estate, investing in luxury cars, and earning banking licenses in the 1990s, portraying herself as a woman seeking financial independence rather than an accomplice.
“I always wanted to be independent, financially secure and work for myself,” she said.
Renewed Scrutiny
The release of Maxwell’s interviews is likely to reignite scrutiny of Epstein’s network. For years, questions have swirled about who knew what about his abuse and how far his influence extended. Clinton has denied any knowledge of criminal activity, while Trump has said he knew Epstein socially but “was not a fan.”
Maxwell’s denial of a “list” may quiet some speculation but is unlikely to end the fascination with Epstein’s high-profile ties. Her insistence that Clinton and Trump were not involved in abuse will not silence critics, especially given her conviction for enabling Epstein’s exploitation.
A Story That Refuses to Fade
Six years after Epstein’s death and more than two years into her sentence, Maxwell remains central to the scandal. Her interviews reflect both an attempt to defend her reputation and a refusal to accept the narrative prosecutors advanced.
“I’ve never had any problem to speak to anybody,” she told investigators at the outset of the interviews, noting that she had asked to meet with the government years earlier. “I offered myself and I kept asking.”
Now, with her words public, the controversy surrounding Epstein, Maxwell, and the powerful world they inhabited is once again thrust into the spotlight — with two former presidents and the specter of a rumored “list” ensuring the story remains alive.
