DOJ blasted for failing to act when Maxwell 'hinted at Epstein's ties to Trump officials'

Critics argue that the Justice Department’s recent public release of the convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell's interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is more theatrical than revelatory.

A report in The Guardian published Sunday noted that Maxwell hinted that convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's associates included members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, yet Blanche made no effort to follow up. Observers say this lapse suggests the department prioritized optics over accountability.

Blanche asked Maxwell whether individuals in Epstein’s circle, including “the numerous high‑profile and powerful men who had known him," might have been involved with him for sexual purposes. In response, Maxwell said that some of the “cast of characters” around Epstein were “in your cabinet, who you value as your co‑workers.”

READ MORE: 'Superficial': Analysis shows how this Fox News star's Trump appointment is backfiring

Legal observers, like former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, criticized the approach as superficial.

Rahmani told the Guardian: “Many of Blanche’s questions were surface‑level and didn’t drill down the way lawyers, especially prosecutors, do when they want to catch inconsistencies.”

He added: “She has zero credibility and I don’t believe for a second that she saw nothing and knows nothing. Perhaps Blanche’s questions were more of the softball variety … there was no world where Maxwell was going to implicate herself … or anyone in the administration when she is trying to get a presidential pardon.”

Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer representing Epstein survivors, told the outlet: “We have heard nothing from the DoJ or the House subcommittee regarding request to speak with either the attorneys for the victims or the victims … The victims have been ignored in this entire process.” Another attorney said they received document updates but “no requests to speak to my clients.”

READ MORE: 'Reveals everything': Trump ripped for 'meltdown' at White House worker

Jennifer Freeman, also a counsel for Epstein survivors, charged: “Ghislaine Maxwell is a convicted sex trafficker and felon who has been previously accused of lying under oath. [Her conversations] reveal nothing shocking; Maxwell provided a version of the truth that best suits her agenda … For far too long survivors have been left in the dark, shut out and shunted aside from receiving vital information in their most painful hours.”