Tag:Prosecutors

Epstein’s madame, Ghislaine Maxwell, is nowhere to be found, at least as of today, according to a story published in the Daily Beast. Police are reportedly scrambling to find the 57-year-old British socialite—and accused madam of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—as she faces a new lawsuit from one victim who alleges Maxwell gave “organizational support to Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring” and procured “underage girls for Epstein’s sexual pleasure.” Since Epstein’s apparent jail-cell suicide on Saturday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said their sex-trafficking and conspiracy probe into the multimillionaire’s orbit is ongoing. (In a July court filing, prosecutors said they were investigating “uncharged individuals” in Epstein’s case.) Alright, let’s deal with the 800 lb gorilla right off the top. Just because she cannot be found, does not mean she is either A) Dead, or B) in unreasonable fear of succumbing to death in the near future. Let’s start off with the more reasonable inferences. For one, she is surely not interested in chatting-up just anyone right now. She cannot be sure who her friends might be, and who might want to see her take the entire fall for impending criminal charges. The smartest thing in such a scenario is to hire the most ass-kicking, frothing at the mouth, tailored to the toe, Manhattan defense attorneys in existence, and let them deal with everyone.  Moreover, she’s likely terrified of being arrested any day now by the FBI. Being an “international woman of mystery” who has bopped around the globe with powerful friends, hiding for a time period in some distant land shouldn’t be that hard, although, the article does mention: “Maxwell is not gonna be able to hide,” Boies told The Daily Beast. “There’s no place in the civilized world where she can go and not be found. And unlike Epstein, she does not have the massive resources that would be required to carve out a new life in some obscure place where she cannot be extradited from.” Sure, that is true, and David Boies is 100x the lawyer I will ever be, and he does happen to know the defendant’s financial status probably better than anyone, including the FBI, Boies is richer. But that doesn’t mean that she wouldn’t rather hide in the Swiss countryside while her lawyers carve out some deal by which she hands herself over, with a deal already in-tact, and that the hand-over comes after all the negotiations. That way she avoids all that jailtime awaiting some deal between the U.S. Attorney’s office and her lawyers. To be sure, that would drive the FBI up the damn wall, and any prosecutor worth her bar license will instantly state: “There will be no deal until she gives herself up, and if we find her, we will charge her with obstruction, too, and and and …” And that U.S. Attorney will also be 100x the attorney that I am, which doesn’t mean this isn’t fairly predictable. Maxwell’s attorney’s response to such a proclamation is to listen politely and then quietly state: “She is prepared to testify to hooking up President “B” from Country “A,” Prince Dumbass of the Kingdom of Asshat, and …” This is where it becomes art “And, should she not get the deal we are seeking, she is prepared to testify that she wanted […]