Epstein associate’s lawyer rejected preferential treatment claims in January, saying ‘humane treatment isn’t special’
Staff from the House oversight and judiciary committees visited the Texas prison whereGhislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate ofJeffrey Epstein, is serving her sentence, according to Democratic lawmakers.
In astatement, the Democratic representatives Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin said staff from the committees traveled to the minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas, on Tuesday to seek answers about Maxwell’s transfer there, and about allegations that she has received preferential treatment at the prison camp.
According to the Democratic lawmakers, prison staff provided the committee staff with “an extensive tour of the grounds and programming of the facility”.
However, the lawmakers claimed that the “Bureau of Prisons leadership repeatedly shut down our lines of questioning or could not provide basic information about our central concerns, including Ms Maxwell’s extraordinary treatment, allegations of sexual assault at the facility and retaliation against inmates who tried to blow the whistle.
“We also have serious concerns about the accuracy and veracity of information received by our investigative staff,” the lawmakers said, adding that their investigation would continue.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said that it “facilitated an extensive and transparent visit of the facility for Congressional staffers from two committees and both sides of the aisle”.
“Each of the topics mentioned were addressed to the extent possible” they added. “BOP staff cannot provide statements about ongoing investigations, personnel actions or litigation, nor would they know the details of any active or potential investigations conducted by external or independent parties.
“The BOP went to great lengths to accommodate this visit and spent hours responding to questions from Congressional staff,” they continued.
“We acknowledge the importance of transparency and respect the role of elected officials overseeing government operations,” the statement concluded. “We remain committed to working with our Congressional partners.”
Maxwell is currently serving a20-year prison sentencefor her role in Epstein’s sex-trafficking scheme. Last summer, she wastransferredfrom a federal prison in Florida to the minimum-security Bryan prison camp, which houses about 635 female inmates.
The move came about a week after Maxwell wasinterviewedby the then deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, about the Epstein case. The interview occurred amid mounting political and public pressure on the Trump administration for more transparency around the Epstein case and to release more records related to the late convicted sex offender.
Maxwell’s transfer sparked backlash, especially from Democrats, who noted that convicted sex offenders are generally placed by the BOP in low-security prisons, such as the Florida prison where Maxwell had previously been held, rather than minimum-security facilities.
Speaking toCNNthis week, Garcia said that the prison’s warden told the committee staff during the visit on Tuesday that “of the 600-plus women that are there, [Maxwell] is the only convicted sex offender at that facility, and he could not answer and does not know why she was actually moved there”.
Garcia also said that the staff were not granted access to Maxwell during the visit.
