Justice Department gave Ghislaine Maxwell ‘a platform to rewrite history,’ family of Epstein abuse survivor says

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2 weeks ago

August 24, 2025

The family members of a prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse said they were “outraged” by the Justice Department’s decision to release transcripts from Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony last month to a federal prosecutor, arguing it provided Maxwell a “platform to rewrite history.”

“The content of these transcripts is in direct contradiction with felon Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction for child sex trafficking,” the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre said in a statement. The family added, “This travesty of justice entirely invalidates the experiences of the many brave survivors who put their safety, security, and lives on the line to ensure her conviction, including our sister.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last month questioned Maxwell, who’s serving a 20-year prison sentence on sex trafficking charges, for two days as part of an effort by the Trump administration to uncover more information about Epstein’s crimes.

The Justice Department on Friday released audio and transcripts of the two-day interview, during which Maxwell refuted several allegations of wrongdoing against her and Epstein, including by Giuffre, who died by suicide in April.

Giuffre accused Maxwell of grooming her to be sexually abused by Epstein and trafficked to several of his powerful friends, including Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Giuffre separately sued Andrew in 2021 for sexually abusing her as a minor, an allegation he has denied. The two later settled the case for an undisclosed amount in 2022.

During the interview last month with Blanche, Maxwell said Giuffre’s allegation against Andrew “doesn’t hold water,” and disputed key facts in the case, including an alleged photo of Giuffre with Andrew.

“I believe that this whole thing was manufactured, and I can point you to some potentially corroborating evidence of this,” Maxwell told Blanche.

Giuffre’s family accused the deputy attorney general of not sufficiently challenging Maxwell’s assertions during her testimony, suggesting that by publicly releasing the interview, the Justice Department provided Maxwell the opportunity to dispute her case in the court of public opinion.

“During [Deputy Attorney General] Todd Blanche’s bizarre interview, she is never challenged about her court-proven lies, providing her a platform to rewrite history,” the family statement read.

Maxwell also said she never witnessed any inappropriate conduct from any man, including President Donald Trump. She denied the existence of an incriminating “client list” of individuals that benefited from Epstein’s crimes and maintained her innocence after being convicted of sex trafficking in 2021.

Giuffre’s family has for months been critical of the Justice Department’s interactions with Maxwell amid the Trump administration’s renewed push to uncover more information about Epstein’s crimes, a key topic of interest among Trump’s base.

In late July, after Maxwell met with Blanche, the family urged the government not to provide Maxwell any favorable treatment, describing her then as a “monster who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of her life.”

Trump has not ruled out the idea of pardoning Maxwell, who he has known for several decades. When asked last month about the prospect of granting Maxwell legal relief, Trump said, “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”

Absent a pardon from Trump, Maxwell is seeking legal relief from the Supreme Court, which has indicated it will decide whether to review Maxwell’s appeal of her conviction during a private conference in September.

Giuffre’s family also condemned the Justice Department’s decision to transfer Maxwell to a minimum-security prison following her meeting with Blanche.

“By moving convicted felon Maxwell to a minimum-security, country club prison, the DOJ sends a disturbing message that child sex trafficking is acceptable and will be rewarded,” the family said Saturday in a statement.

Federal officials moved Maxwell, Epstein’s co-conspirator and confidant, from a co-ed, low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to a women-only, minimum-security facility in Bryan, Texas. The Bureau of Prisons at the time did not specify why Maxwell was transferred to the facility, which also houses reality television star Jen Shah and disgraced Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes.

The release of the Maxwell transcripts came as the Justice Department also partially fulfilled a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee for all files related to the federal investigation of Epstein. The Justice Department released roughly 33,000 documents, however Democrats on the committee have said the “vast majority” of the records included in the first batch were already public.

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$1.8 billion Powerball drawing turns up winners in Texas and Missouri

Published

1 hour ago

September 7, 2025

Dennis Romero

A nearly $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot finally found winners during Saturday night’s draw, the Multi-State Lottery Association said.

The jackpot winners hailed from Texas and Missouri, it said, resulting in a two-way split of a $1.787 billion jackpot, the association said in a statement late Saturday.

The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, and Powerball 17, it said.

Winners will be able to chose one of two ways to claim their half of the jackpot: an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump-sum payment of $410.3 million. The annuitized prize would come in 30 payments over a 29-year span.

Additional details, including the identities of the winners and where the tickets were sold, have not been released.

Winning tickets with a face value of $2 million each, which matched five numbers as well as the Powerball number, were purchased in Texas and Kansas, the association said.

The jackpot grew as a result of no winners since May 31. Saturday’s drawing was for the second-largest jackpot in Powerball history, lottery officials said.

The only jackpot worth more was the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California on Nov. 7, 2022, they said.

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Powerball lottery players in Missouri and Texas to split estimated $1.8 billion jackpot

Published

1 hour ago

September 7, 2025

The Editors

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the estimated $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner.

The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17.

The prize, which was the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31.

Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week.

The estimated $1.8 billion jackpot would go to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for Saturday night’s drawing would be an estimated $826.4 million.

Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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US Open Organizers Want TV To Ignore Trump Protests Sunday

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2025

Dominic Patten

Reaction to Donald Trump‘s attendance at the U.S. Open Men’s Final on Sunday just stepped into Center Court.

A memo sent to the likes of ESPN and Sky Sports this afternoon from the United States Tennis Association asks “all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity.”

Whether censorship, a very heavy handed request for civility amidst political division, both or an unintentional shooting of their own foort, the USTA entreaty Saturday has had the immediate effect now of putting an added spotlight on Trump’s appearance at the prestigious match.

Shown on ABC, ESPN Unlimited and other platforms of the sports giant, the dramatic battle between Carlos Alcaraz (who won the U.S. Open title in 2022) and Jannik Sinner (who won Wimbledon two months ago) is set to start at 11 am PT/2 pm ET.

According to guidance from the White House, Trump will be in the stadium at that time. He is expected to be front and center on Arthur Ashe Stadium’s giant video screen during the national anthem. Unlikely to be talking tariffs by any measure, Trump is at the match as a guest of Rolex.

When contacted by Deadline, ESPN had no comment on the USTA correspondence. However, indications from insiders at the Disney outlet is that they will be concentrating their coverage on the tennis but not ignore Trump or his presence. That last part may be the wiggle room Disney, who paid then president-elect Trump over $15 million back in December to in a much derided move to settle his defamation suit against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos, occupies to turn the cameras on or off any jeers, banners or more that break out at Sunday’s match

For USTA, who have seen a constant stream of high profile attendees like Common, Walton Goggins, Hugh Jackman, Anna Wintour, Naomi Watts, the Great One Wayne Gretzky and the G.O.A.T. Billie Jean King, at this year’s U.S. Open, the attitude is this is all business as usual – just bigger. “We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions,” USTA Managing Director, Head of Communications and Content Lisa Cradit told Deadline tonight.

Certainly, Trump showing up at other sporting events recently like July 13’s FIFA Club World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium and February at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans resulted in a bellow of boos. In the latter case, which saw Taylor Swift booed too, there were cheers for the former Celebrity Apprentice host. The same couldn’t be said of the last time Trump showed up at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the U.S. Open in 2015 — then the boos far out blasted any positive response.

Will history repeat itself?

Well, there is some precedent of recurrence at the U.S. Open this year.

Having won in 2024, Aryna Sabalenka remains the U.S. Open’s women’s champion. The Belarusian player defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets earlier today. Sabalenka was applauded and received a standing ovation for her hard fought second consecutive Ashe victory.

Aryna Sabalenka after winning against Amanda Anisimova during their Women’s Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 US Open (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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