Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on Wednesday was convicted on 5 of 6 counts related to the sex trafficking of underage individuals. But very significant questions remain unanswered.
A New York jury found Maxwell guilty of conspiracy to entice an individual under the age of 17 to travel interstate with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of an individual under the age of 18. She could face up to 65 years in prison.
Maxwell was found not guilty on count two, enticement of an individual under the age of 17 to travel for the purposes of engaging in illegal sexual activity.
Maxwell, 59, was accused of procuring, grooming and trafficking young girls for sexual abuse by Epstein from 1994 to 2004.
The prosecution and defense in Maxwell's trial agreed early in the trial that Maxwell and Epstein's “little black book” of contacts would never be made public. The jury was allowed to see part of the book.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre was not included in the trial against Maxwell but has become one of the most well-known Epstein accusers. After the verdict, she tweeted that "Maxwell did not act alone."
Giuffre claimed Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to powerful men, including Prince Andrew at Maxwell's home.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert said Maxwell "deserves to rot behind bars for the rest of her days and the public deserves to know every single person involved in the Epstein sex trafficking network."
Conservative commentator Dinesh Joseph D'Souza tweeted:
"The point of the #ghislanemaxwell trail appears to have been twofold: 1. Convict the obviously-guilty Epstein pimp Ghislaine Maxwell 2. Protect all the powerful people who were part of the Epstein-Maxwell pedophile ring. I’ll bet Bill Clinton’s handing out cocktails tonight!"
Why didn't Maxwell reach a deal with prosecutors? Blogger Don Surber offered an explanation:Prosecutors did not want her to sing. Either spoken or likely unspoken, the deal was you stand trial, you do not sing, and you will not face Arkancide. If anything in the Trump era has taught us anything, it is that federal law enforcement exists to protect the elitists and frame dissidents.
In June 2016, the FBI investigated Hillary's sale of state secrets to foreign governments. Then the FBI destroyed the evidence. At the same time, the FBI lied on FISA applications to spy on Donald John Trump.
Maxwell responded to the verdict with a poker face and walked out of court flanked by two security guards and was not handcuffed or shackled on her legs, according to a report by Neonettle.com. Writing for Hot Air, Ed Morrissey raised the obvious question:Assuming the conviction stands for sex trafficking these women when they were minors prompts another question. Maxwell trafficked them to Epstein, certainly, who took the coward’s way out and can’t be held to account for it. But the victims of Epstein and Maxwell claim that the pair trafficked them much more widely — to the friends of Epstein and Maxwell, to the rich and powerful and famous, and for motives that are still not entirely clear. Each of those men (and perhaps women?) committed a crime connected to sex trafficking of minors as well. Epstein and Maxwell may have created the supply, but the “johns” provided the demand.
So when do we see some of the “johns” in criminal court?
Surber responded: "The short answer is never. The long answer is never ever."Judge Alison Nathan ruled at Manhattan federal court that only a limited amount of material from the contacts "black book" would be released under seal.
The 97-page book, containing the names and contact details of almost 2,000 people including world leaders, celebrities, and business titans, was published by Gawker in 2015, with some redactions.
The names include Peter Soros, the nephew of billionaire donor George Soros, singer Mick Jagger, the Duke and Duchess of York, singer Phil Collins, singer Courtney Love, comedian Chris Tucker, Henry Kissinger, a number of people from the Kennedy family, some members of the Trump family, and more.
The little black book was entered into evidence as Government Exhibit 52 in Maxwell's trial. Witness Juan Alessi, Epstein's longtime house manager and driver, took the stand and authenticated the book.
Alessi testified that the book was kept next to a telephone in Epstein's Palm Beach home and was used to invite people from the list to come over.
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