On Tuesday, a judge ordered the release of a deposition that British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell gave in 2016 related to her dealings with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, which she has fought to keep under wraps. The documents came from a civil defamation lawsuit against Maxwell by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Maxwell of aiding Epstein in grooming and trafficking her for sex with him and other wealthy, powerful men.
U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska earlier on Tuesday ordered an immediate unsealing of the April 2016 deposition, but pushed back the timetable after Maxwell’s lawyers objected. The judge said lawyers for Maxwell and Giuffre should in the meantime work out any disputes. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected what it called Maxwell’s “meritless” arguments that her interests outweighed the presumption that the public had a right to see her deposition..
Maxwell, 58, has pleaded not guilty to helping Epstein recruit and groom underage girls for sex in the mid-1990s, and not guilty to perjury for denying her involvement under oath. She is being held in a Brooklyn jail, and if convicted could face 35 years in prison. Her trial is scheduled for next July.
