Ghislaine Maxwell Granted Limited Immunity For Conversations With DOJ

July 25, 2025 - Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee, Florida, for a total of nine hours over two days. These meetings, held at the federal prosecutor's office within the Tallahassee federal courthouse, were initiated by Maxwell and conducted under a limited form of immunity, known as proffer immunity, as reported by ABC News. This immunity ensured that Maxwell’s statements could not be used against her in future criminal proceedings, provided she answered truthfully. Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, confirmed she answered every question posed by Blanche, covering “maybe 100 different people” linked to Epstein’s activities, without invoking any privileges or refusing to respond.

Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year sentence at FCI Tallahassee following her 2021 conviction in New York for sex trafficking and conspiracy related to her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuse from 1994 to 2004. Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The Justice Department and FBI, in a July 6, 2025, memo, stated that their review of Epstein-related records found no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail involving prominent individuals, concluding there was insufficient evidence to pursue investigations against uncharged third parties.

Maxwell’s cooperation follows a July 6 Justice Department decision to halt further releases of Epstein-related files. This decision sparked backlash, prompting the House Oversight Committee to subpoena Maxwell on July 23, 2025, for a deposition scheduled for August 11. The committee also voted 8-2 to subpoena Justice Department records related to Epstein. Maxwell’s legal team is simultaneously appealing her conviction to the Supreme Court, arguing that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and Florida prosecutors should have shielded her from prosecution in New York. The Justice Department has opposed this appeal, asserting that the agreement did not protect Epstein’s associates from federal prosecution elsewhere.

Markus emphasized that no promises or deals were made regarding Maxwell’s cooperation, though he noted she would “welcome any relief.” When asked about a potential pardon, Trump stated on July 25, before departing for Scotland, that he had not considered it but acknowledged his authority to grant one. Legal experts, including former Epstein attorney Alan Dershowitz, have suggested Maxwell’s testimony could be pivotal, with Dershowitz calling her the “Rosetta Stone” of the Epstein case and advocating for her release in exchange for full disclosure. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed skepticism about Maxwell’s credibility, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer raised concerns about the propriety of the meetings.

The Justice Department has also moved to unseal grand jury transcripts from the Epstein and Maxwell cases, though federal judges Paul Engelmayer and Richard Berman have requested additional filings by August 5 to determine whether these records, likely heavily redacted to protect victims, will be made public. Maxwell’s meetings with Blanche mark the first time the Justice Department has directly engaged her for information since her conviction, and the outcome of these discussions, as well as her pending appeal and congressional deposition, could shape the ongoing Epstein investigation and its political ramifications.