Over two days, Justice Department officialsquestioned Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend, convicted sex traffickerGhislaine Maxwell, as the White House continues to battle calls for more transparency over what Epstein did and who else may have been involved. It's unclear what came out of the interview, but Maxwell's lawyer David Markus said his client answered all of the government's questions, which covered about 100 people. "She answered questions about everybody and she didn't hold anything back," Markus said, without specifying who was mentioned. The Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on what came out of the interview. The talks follow more than two weeks of bubbling outrage from members ofPresident Donald Trump's base over the department'sannouncement in early Julythat it won't release its files on Epstein. DOJ said a systematic review of the filesdidn't turn up any list of clients involved in Epstein's crimes. Even some congressional Republicans have clamored for the files' release orintroduced legislationto try to force the Trump administration's hand.Republican leadership has so far blocked the legislationand White House officials continue to resist those calls. Still,Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanchehas suggested that Maxwell could reveal new details about Epstein's circle and crimes. Here is all the latest on the fallout: Maxwell wasconvicted in 2021 of trafficking a minorto Epstein for sexual abuse, and for conspiring to entice and transport minors for illegal sex acts. She is currently serving a20-year prison sentence, and has anappeal pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. Markus indicated July 25 that his clientcould ask for a pardon soon, following the two days she spent talking to Justice Department officials July 24-25. "We haven't spoken to the president or anybody about a pardon just yet," he said. "The president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way." Trump has the power to pardon Maxwellfully as well as to commute her prison sentence. But to many, that might look more like reducing than enhancing accountability – especially if Maxwell offers little in return. In the morning on July 25, Trump said he hasn't thought about pardoning Maxwell, but also didn't rule it out. "I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about,"Trump said. "I certainly can't talk about pardons now." Only 16% of of voterswho responded toa poll released July 25 by Emerson College Pollingapproved of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. Fifty-one percent disapproved, while 33% were neutral. The poll surveyed 1,400 U.S. voters from July 21-22. Its margin of error is ±2.5 points, according to the polling organization. In addition to approaching Maxwell, the Justice Department asked federal judges in Florida and New York tounseal transcripts of testimony before grand juries investigating Epstein and Maxwell. If judges allow for the transcripts' release, the department said it will first redact both victim-related information and personal identifying information from the transcripts. On July 23, federalJudge Judge Robin L. Rosenbergrejected the request in Florida, writing that she doesn't have the power to order the records' release because of a past ruling from an appeals court that presides over her trial court. Judges in New York haven't yet ruled on the administration's requests there. Attorney General Pam Bonditold Trump in May that he was named multiple times in the government'sfiles on Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports fromthe Wall Street JournalandCNN. A White House official did not dispute that Trump's name is mentioned in the Epstein files,telling USA TODAYthat briefing binders Bondi prepared forMAGA influencersin February included the president's name. But the official rejected any suggestion that Trump engaged in wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Being named doesn't mean the person did anything criminal. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, announced on July 22 he isshutting down the House for its summer recess earlyto avoid a vote on releasing the Epstein files. Johnson said there was "no daylight" between the Trump administration and the House, and the White House needed "space" to address the issue. Members of Congress were scheduled to leave Washington for several weeks starting July 24, but Johnson said he would cut the schedule short and end with votes on July 23. Johnson took that step after Rep.Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Rep.Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, co-sponsored legislationcalling for the release of the government's Epstein records. Archived video footage andphotos revealed by CNNJuly 22 showed Jeffrey Epstein attended Trump's wedding to Marla Maples at the Plaza Hotel in 1993. Maples is the second of Trump's three wives. The couple divorced in 1999. "You've got to be kidding me," Trump told CNN when asked about the wedding photos on a phone call. He called the outlet "fake news" and hung up. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the images were "out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious." The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed on July 22to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell to testify. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, said hepressed for the subpoenain order to learn more about Epstein's criminal conduct. "This deposition will help the American people understand how Jeffrey Epstein was able to carry out his evil actions for so long without being brought to justice," Burchett said. On July 17, theWall Street Journal reportedthat Trump sent Epstein a lewd birthday letter for his 50th birthday, which took place in early 2003. Trumpcalled the letter a "FAKE"on social media July 17 andsued the newspaper's publisher for libelon July 18. The lettercontains typewritten dialoguebetween "Donald" and "Jeffrey," and at a later point "Trump." In the dialogue, "Donald" says, "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey" and that, "Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" The dialogue ends with "Trump" saying, "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret." The dialogue is encased within a seemingly hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, the Journal reported. The letter includes a pair of arcs denoting the woman's breasts, and a "Donald" squiggly signature mimicking pubic hair. USA TODAY could not verify the details or origin of the letter. Contributing: Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Melina Khan, Savannah Kuchar, Christopher Cann - USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:The latest on Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the Epstein files
