Ghislaine Maxwell, the late Jeffrey Epstein’s girlfriend who was convicted of securing underage girls for him and others, returned to the Florida prison where she’s serving her sentence carrying a “mystery box.”
CNN’s Erin Burnett noted the strange occurrence during a show segment on Thursday, showing a clip of Maxwell holding the box and entering the prison following what was reportedly a meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Another user posted a clearer photo of a figure purported to be Maxwell holding a box as a guard opens a door for her.
“Today, I met with Ghislaine Maxwell, and I will continue my interview of her tomorrow,” Blanche said in a social media post. “The Department of Justice will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time.”
Blanche said he would be meeting with Maxwell again on Friday, according to CNN. Blanche and Maxwell met at the US attorney’s office in Tallahassee, Fla., the outlet added.
Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus called her meeting with Blanche “productive,” adding that she answered all of his questions “honestly.”
“Looking forward to another productive day,” Markus told CNN Thursday night. “Ghislaine honestly answered every question that Mr. Blanche asked. And she will continue to do so.”
The meetings follow the Department of Justice’s recent outreach to Epstein’s former associate. Blanche said in a statement on Tuesday that if “Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.”
The meetings also come after President Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to release any pertinent information regarding Epstein after his MAGA base heavily criticized a Justice Department memo from earlier this month claiming there is no “client list” and that no further information about his crimes would be forthcoming.
Democrats have surmised — without evidence — that the decision to essentially close the case stems from a belief that Trump is in the files. News reports this week made similar assertions, even claiming that DOJ officials informed Trump of that in spring meetings.
But supporters of the president have countered that if Trump were involved in some of Epstein’s suspected crimes against underage girls, that information would have been leaked long ago.
Also, they note that Trump’s prior association with Epstein is a matter of public record, adding that Trump expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in the early 2000s and had nothing more to do with him after discovering that the financier was inappropriately approaching young girls.
“The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep,” said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
In a surprise move Wednesday, the House Oversight subcommittee voted to subpoena the Justice Department for files related to Jeffrey Epstein—a clear act of defiance by some House Republicans against Speaker Mike Johnson.
Johnson has sought to rein in efforts to force the release of the so-called Epstein files and has resisted calls for a full House vote on the matter ahead of the August recess.
The subpoena demands that the Justice Department turn over its Epstein-related files to Congress, with the names of victims redacted. It also seeks communications between former Biden administration officials and the DOJ regarding the Epstein case, along with depositions from key figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey.
Last week, the Justice Department requested that a federal judge unseal years-old grand jury testimony against Epstein. However, on Wednesday, a federal judge in Florida declined to release additional grand jury materials.