TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As public pressure intensifies for the White House to release long-sealed files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, attention has turned once again to his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell—now serving a 20-year sentence in a Tallahassee federal prison for sex trafficking of minors.
Maxwell, long accused of helping Epstein exploit underage girls, may soon be facing questions from members of Congress and the Justice Department.
WATCH: Epstein scandal heats up: Lawmakers plan Maxwell visit amid growing calls for transparency
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is pursuing a meeting with Maxwell in prison to ask, as he put it on social media, “What do you know?”
When pressed by a reporter about President Donald Trump's stance, Leavitt said: “The president spoke to this yesterday, and he said he thinks it's an appropriate idea.”
White House Pressure Mounts
Despite the administration's endorsement of the visit, public scrutiny continues to grow. A federal judge in Florida denied a Trump administration request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts on Wednesday afternoon, drawing backlash from transparency advocates.
At the same time, President Trump has deflected repeated questions about his personal ties to Epstein.
“It’s, uh, it’s uh sort of a witch hunt, just a continuation of the witch hunt,” Trump said on Tuesday. “The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold…”
Yet national media outlets continue to publish letters, images, and videos that suggest Trump and Epstein had a closer relationship than the president claims—casting doubt and adding fuel to the controversy.
The latest report from the Wall Street Journal found that, in May, Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Trump that his name appeared multiple times in the Jeffrey Epstein files, along with many other high-profile figures. The outlet acknowledged that being mentioned in the records did not indicate wrongdoing.
Trump calls the Wall Street Journal about being named in the Epstein files "fake news."
Experts, Republicans Urge Full Disclosure
Political experts say Trump’s ability to satisfy his base may depend on embracing the transparency they seek.
“Well, I think what it's going to take is the release of all the information that the Administration has in its possession,” said Professor Alain Sanders, Political Science Emeritus at St. Peter's University. “They've been riled up about it for years now… They wonder why this has not happened.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echoed a similar sentiment during a Sunday interview with Fox News.
“What I would say is just release it, let people see,” DeSantis said. “Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell didn't just do this amongst themselves… there were obviously other people involved, and yet no one has been brought to justice.”
Political Ramifications Ahead of Midterms
Democrats are already seizing on the issue as the 2026 midterms approach. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the GOP for avoiding the issue entirely. That’s after the Republican-controlled House left for its summer recess earlier than scheduled, reportedly to avoid a vote on unsealing further Epstein-related documents.
"Yesterday was truly a sorry sight in the House of Representatives,” Schumer said. “The ghost of the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein is haunting our Republican colleagues so much so that Speaker Johnson decided to cut bait and send the House home to escape discussions about Epstein, instead of doing their jobs like grown-ups and making progress on appropriations.”
Maxwell to Be Deposed August 11
Despite delays, Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer announced a subpoena, Wednesday afternoon. He said his panel will depose Maxwell on August 11 at the Tallahassee facility. Comer confirmed via social media that the “Justice Department is cooperating and will facilitate the prison interview.”
How exactly the deposition will be conducted remains unclear, but one thing is certain: Tallahassee is rapidly becoming ground zero in the renewed quest for answers about Epstein’s network and alleged co-conspirators.
Fans mourn wrestling icon Hulk Hogan at his Clearwater Beach businesses
Hulk Hogan’s Beach Shop remained closed Thursday following news of the professional wrestling icon’s death at age 71.
