Ghislaine Maxwell told a Justice Department official that she was not aware of any "client list" belonging to the late financier and never saw President Donald Trump behave inappropriately.

Manhattan

Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for assisting Jeffrey Epstein in the sexual abuse of underage girls, told the U.S. Department of Justice in a recently released interview that she never saw former President Donald Trump behave inappropriately or in any compromising situation. Maxwell also stated she was unaware of any client list associated with Epstein and did not implicate any other prominent individuals in wrongdoing.

The interview was conducted by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has also served as Trump's personal lawyer, and was released amid ongoing demands for the DOJ to make Epstein-related files public. Maxwell's attorney claims the interview supports her innocence, and Maxwell has appealed her conviction to the US Supreme Court. Following the interview, Maxwell was transferred to a less restrictive prison facility.

Ghislaine Maxwell says she never saw Trump behave inappropriately

Did you ever observe President Trump receive a massage? Never. Under pressure to release files relating to its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the U.S. Department of Justice instead on Friday made public an interview carried out with his imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell. According to a transcript, Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, said she never saw U.S. President Donald Trump behave inappropriately. I don't think they were close friends, or I certainly never witnessed the president in any of, I don't recall ever seeing him in his house, for instance. I actually never saw the president in any type of massage setting. I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way. The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman, in all respects. Maxwell also said she was not aware of any rumoured client list belonging to the late financier. He died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. New York's chief medical examiner determined that Epstein's death was a suicide by hanging. In the interview, Maxwell said she did not witness any abuse by Epstein, her longtime boyfriend. She also did not implicate any other prominent individuals in wrongdoing. During Maxwell's month-long trial in Manhattan, jurors heard emotional and explicit testimony from four women who said Maxwell recruited and groomed them for abuse by Epstein. Three of the four said Maxwell herself touched their bare breasts or took part in the encounters, which often began as massages. Maxwell, a former British socialite, was interviewed last month by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. She was speaking on the condition that she not be prosecuted for any self-incriminating statements, but that she could be prosecuted if she lied. It is rare for a Justice Department official as senior as Blanche, who has also served as Trump's personal lawyer, to directly interview a criminal defendant. The interview also came as Trump sought to fight off criticism from his conservative base of supporters and congressional Democrats over the DOJ's decision not to release the Epstein files, having earlier pledged to do so. Epstein's death, coupled with his friendships with powerful people like Trump and former Democratic President Bill Clinton, has fuelled conspiracy theories that other people were involved in his crimes, and that he was murdered to cover that up. No one other than he and Maxwell have been charged with crimes. Maxwell, who pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges brought against her in 2020, has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. Her attorney David Marcus said in a statement on Friday that the DOJ interview supports Maxwell's argument that she is innocent. Marcus has previously said Maxwell has not held discussions with Trump about a possible pardon, but that she would welcome relief. A week after the interview, Maxwell was moved from a low-security prison facility in Florida to a less restrictive prison camp in Texas.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in ICE custody and is facing deportation to Uganda, the Department of Homeland Security says, after he was released from criminal custody last week.

Baltimore

Abrego Garcia in ICE custody, court blocks immediate deportation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will meet with the U.S. and other countries this week to discuss a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at reaching a ceasefire.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskiy say he will meet with U.S., others on potential Putin talks

U.S. President Donald Trump says Chicago could be the next city to see National Guard deployment, sparking strong opposition from Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, who argue crime is already falling and federal intervention is unnecessary.

Chicago

Trump threatens to send National Guard troops to Chicago

Four journalists working with Reuters, Al Jazeera and others were killed in explosions at a Gaza hospital. Gaza officials blame Israeli drone strikes, though CBS News has not independently verified the claims.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Four journalists reported dead after Gaza hospital blasts

U.S. National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. as part of what President Donald Trump said was his crackdown on crime began carrying weapons on Sunday night, two officials said.

Washington

National Guard patrolling Washington DC begin carrying weapons

In a visit to Kyiv, Prime Minister Mark Carney affirmed Canada’s support for Ukraine and committed to sending soldiers if a ceasefire with Russia is reached.

Carney in Kyiv pledges support, possibly troops for Ukraine

The Pickett Fire is growing in California's Napa County, prompting new evacuations as it threatens homes and wineries. The flames, fueled by scorching temperatures and dry conditions, are being battled by hundreds of first responders.

Napa Valley

Evacuations ordered in California as heatwave fuels wildfire

Democrats are pushing back against President Trump's plan to send the National Guard to more cities, including Chicago, New York and Baltimore, as troops continue to patrol Washington, D.C. State and local leaders say they have crime under control.

Democrats slam Trump's plans to send National Guard to more cities

Beef prices are at record highs with the average price of a pound of ground beef topping $6. Lisa Rozner reports on what's causing prices to soar.

Why U.S beef prices are soaring

A defiant Ukraine marked its independence from the former Soviet Union Sunday amid more fighting with Russia. Chris Livesay reports on how world leaders joined in, voicing their support.

Ukraine marks its Independence Day as war with Russia continues

The boats are produced by unknown Turkish companies and are then sent disassembled in multiple shipments to avoid suspicion in what authorities say is for the sole purpose of trafficking migrants across the English Channel.

Sofia

Inflatable boats used for migrant trafficking seized

Less than 24 hours after he was released from jail, Kilmar Ábrego García was told that U.S. immigration officials plan to deport him to Uganda. The Salvadoran national, who has been living illegally in the U.S. since about 2011, was wrongly deported to his home country earlier this year.

Maryland

Kilmar Abrego Garcia told he may be sent to Uganda

Erik and Lyle Menendez remain behind bars, their hopes for release dashed by two separate parole boards more than three decades after murdering their parents. Elise Preston reports.

Los Angeles

Erik and Lyle Menendez denied parole

Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, costing the city billions. That could signal trouble ahead for the U.S. economy. Andres Gutierrez has new details.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas tourism slumps this summer, signaling trouble for U.S. economy

Texas Republicans took a victory lap after an early morning vote Saturday that sought to give their party an edge during the 2026 midterms. Democrats in Texas plan to challenge the legality of the new congressional map, saying it dilutes the power of minorities.

Austin

Texas Republicans take victory lap after redistricting vote

Israel has called the United Nations' declaration of famine in parts of Gaza an "outright lie," but multiple U.N. bodies, more than 100 humanitarian groups, and several of Israel's own allies have warned for months that the war is causing starvation among civilians.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israel denies U.N.'s declaration of famine in parts of Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will impose sanctions on Russia if it fails to reach a peace deal in Ukraine within two weeks. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia’s ongoing attacks on his country show that President Vladimir Putin is not interested in peace.

Putin’s not interested in peace talks, Zelenskyy says

Lyle Menendez was denied parole late Friday night following a day-long hearing in California, just one day after his brother Erik's parole appeal was also rejected. The brothers have been in prison since 1996 for killing their parents in what they say was an act of self-defense.

Both Menendez brothers denied parole

At least five people are dead and dozens are injured after a tour bus traveling from Niagara Falls flipped over on the New York State Thruway near Pembroke, New York.

Pembroke

Western New York bus crash kills at least five people

Federal agents searched former Trump adviser-turned-critic John Bolton's home on Friday morning. President Donald Trump denied knowing about the investigation, which is related to his handling of classified documents.

Bethesda

FBI raids former Trump adviser John Bolton's home, office

The FBI searched former national security adviser John Bolton's house in Bethesda, Maryland, early Friday morning, the bureau confirmed to CBS News.

FBI raids former Trump adviser John Bolton's home, D.C. office

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland construction worker deported to El Salvador and then returned to the U.S. on smuggling charges, has been released from prison in Tennessee, his attorneys say.

Nashville

Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from jail in Tennessee

A bus with more than 50 people on board rolled over in New York and several deaths are being reported, officials confirm. CBS News' Jericka Duncan reports.

Tour bus crash in New York causes 'several fatalities'

Attorneys general in 14 states and Washington, D.C., accuse TikTok of designing its app to keep users hooked. Court-released edited video shows some company staff discussing the toll it can take on children and teens.

TikTok faces lawsuits over mental health risks

A parole board rejected Erik Menendez's request for release, saying he has not shown proper remorse for killing his parents 36 years ago. His brother, Lyle Menendez, faces his own hearing today (August 22).

Erik Menendez denied parole after California hearing

Russia carried out one of its largest aerial attacks of the year on Ukraine. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15, marking Russia’s third-largest drone attack and eighth-largest missile assault this year.

Russia launches largest strike in weeks on Ukraine

The U.S. is sending three warships to the waters of Venezuela as part of a major counter-narcotics operation, a White House official confirms. CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports.

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