A SHORT 2002 essay prosecutors say Ghislaine Maxwell wrote under the name “GMax” details her close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
FBI agents found it on a hard drive, along with several photos of the couple, when they raided Epstein’s New York City townhouse after his July 2019 arrest, but Maxwell’s lawyers dispute who actually wrote it.
“Jeffrey and Ghislaine have been together, a couple, for the last 11 years,” GMax wrote in the piece, according to Bloomberg. “They are, contrary to what many people think, rarely apart — I almost always see them together.”
The essay seems to prove Maxwell and Epstein were close, as deliberations continue on Wednesday in Maxwell’s trial. Judge Alison Nathan asked the jury to deliberate until at least 6pm on Tuesday, citing a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in New York City, and warned they may need to deliberate through New Year’s Eve.
Jurors submitted several requests to the judge earlier this week, including the legal definition of “enticement,” transcripts of testimony, colored highlighters, post-it notes, and a whiteboard.
Maxwell’s top charge, which is a sex-trafficking count, carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and if convicted on all counts, the socialite could face up to 80 years in prison. She denies all accusations.
Read our Ghislaine Maxwell live blog for the very latest news and updates…
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What is Ghislaine Maxwell’s net worth?
Ghislaine Maxwell held a high distinction in the high society thanks to her notable wealth.
With a fortune as large as Maxwell’s, sleuths have questioned how she amassed her riches and what she does for a living.
Per Celebrity Net Worth, she is worth $20 million.
Maxwell acquired her wealth from her father, the late business tycoon Robert Maxwell.
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How long could Maxwell face in prison?
If convicted on all counts, Maxwell could face up to 80 years in prison.
Depending on how the trial goes and whether she is convicted, she could spend the rest of her life behind bars.
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Testimony transcripts requested
Jurors for the Ghislaine Maxwell trial requested transcripts of testimony from five more witnesses on Wednesday, the Independent noted.
The witness transcripts requested were for Cimberly Espinosa, Shawn, Amanda Young and Jason Richards, and Elizabeth Loftus.
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Jury asked for scheduling clarification
On Wednesday morning, jurors in the Ghislaine Maxwell case asked the judge for clarification on their schedule if they hadn’t reached a verdict before the weekend.
They sent a note that asked in part, “Can we have clarification about our schedules? 12/31? 1/1?”
Judge Nathan confirmed they will have to deliberate on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday if necessary.
“Given my concern about Omicron, quarantine for 10 days, we need to proceed every day,” she said, according to The Independent.
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Jury may deliberate over weekend
Judge Nathan told jurors on Wednesday that they will have to deliberate on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday if they fail to reach a verdict in the Ghislaine Maxwell case before then.
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Indictment against Maxwell
The 17-page indictment against Maxwell accused her of grooming and befriending victims, normalizing inappropriate behavior, being present during abuse to put victims at ease, encouraging victims to accept Epstein’s help, and encouraging victims to engage in sexual activity and taking part herself.
One accuser Jennifer Araoz said Maxwell was at the “center of his sex trafficking ring.”
If convicted on all counts, Maxwell could face up to 80 years in prison.
Maxwell denies all accusations.
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Charges against Maxwell
Prosecutors alleged that between 1994 and 1997 she helped Epstein to groom girls as young as 14.
Maxwell has been charged with six counts of perjury and sex trafficking offenses:
- Count one: Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Count two: Enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Count three: Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Count four: Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Counts five and six: Perjury – the offence of wilfully telling an untruth or making a misrepresentation under oath.
The 17-page indictment against Maxwell accused her of grooming and befriending victims, normalizing inappropriate behavior, being present during abuse to put victims at ease, encouraging victims to accept Epstein’s help, and encouraging victims to engage in sexual activity and taking part herself.
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Jury asked to end at 5pm Tuesday
Jurors requested to end deliberations at 5pm on Tuesday and resume at 9am on Wednesday, NBC News Correspondent Tom Winter reported of the Ghislaine Maxwell case.
“Our deliberations are moving along and making progress,” the note said.
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In her own words, continued
In her first interview from behind bars, Maxwell told the Mail on Sunday that she is being kept in “inhumane” solitary confinement the entire time.
Maxwell, who is accused of helping to find teenage girls for billionaire financier Epstein to abuse, denies sex trafficking charges.
She added: “I used to take a shower every day but I’ve stopped because of the creepy guards who stand close and stare at me the whole time.”
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In her own words
Maxwell spoke out from her jail cell ahead of her trial – claiming “creepy” guards watch her as she uses the bathroom.
Speaking to the Mail On Sunday she said: “I used to go to the loo with an open sewer drain and a friendly rat would regularly visit.
“I told the guards, but nothing was done until the rat popped out and charged a guard who screamed in terror.
“Finally, the sewer drain was covered.”
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Maxwell’s jail complaints
Maxwell has repeatedly complained about her treatment and recently said her toilet was a rat infested open sewer drain.
She has claimed that she is being watched by guards and her only company is the rats near to the open sewer drain in her cell.
Her lawyers argue her jail conditions are fit only for fictional serial killer Lecter, and say her continued imprisonment is “untenable and unreasonable”.
A motion filed in April this year alleges Maxwell has been subject to “invasive searches”.
She is served “inedible” food and her water is often cloudy, they say.
It’s also claimed she was forced to crawl on her hands and knees to get into a prison van.
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Word doc: Maxwell and Epstein were ‘best friends’
FBI agents found a Word document, created by using the name ‘gmax’, which has been linked to Maxwell, that described the defendant’s relationship with Epstein.
It read: “Jeffrey and Ghislaine have been together, a couple, for the last 11 years.”
“They are, contrary to what many people think, rarely apart. I almost always see them together.”
It continued: “Ghislaine is highly intelligent and great company with a ready smile and an infectious laugh, will always put one at one’s ease and always makes one feel welcome.”
“Jeffrey and Ghislaine share many mutual interests and they have a lot of fun together. Jeffrey and Ghislaine complement each other really well and I can’t imagine one without the other.”
“On top of being partners, they are also the best of friends.”
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Documents found during police raid
Prosecutors detailed a cache of documents that were seized from Epstein’s New York mansion during a raid in 2019.
A large safe containing binders of CDs, cash, computer hard drives, diamonds, and passports was found.
FBI agents left the house to obtain a warrant for the safe, but when they returned four days later, everything from the safe was gone.
The items were later returned in two suitcases by one of Epstein’s lawyers and the safe was found buried in a closet.
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Celebrities connected to Epstein and Maxwell
Notable politicians, billionaires, and celebrities have been connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwelll.
Some of them include Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, and Woody Allen.
Prince Andrew has been accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre. A judge dismissed criminal charges in 2015, but Giuffre is pursuing a sexual assault lawsuit.
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‘It was the biggest mistake of her life’
Defense attorney Laura Menninger ended her closing argument on Monday by telling the jury: “Ghislaine is being tried here for being with Jeffrey Epstein.”
“Maybe it was the biggest mistake of her life. But it is not a crime,” she added, according to the Independent.
“Acquit her.”
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Does Ghislaine Maxwell have kids?
Ghislaine Maxwell does not have any children of her own, but is reportedly the stepmother to her husband’s children from his first marriage.
According to reports, Maxwell secretly wed tech millionaire Scott Borgerson in 2016.
Maxwell’s own family didn’t know about the wedding until her bail hearing, according to her brother, Ian.
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Who is Scott Borgerson?
Scott Borgerson is the CEO of CargoMetrics.
He lives in a £2.3million ocean-front mansion in Massachusetts, and his company was valued at $100million in 2020.
He has been linked to Ghislaine Maxwell, and it is alleged that he is the British socialite’s “secret” husband.
However, Borgerson has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming that he and Maxwell are just old friends.
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Ghislaine Maxwell’s romantic history, continued
According to a 2009 deposition, several of Epstein’s household employees testified that Epstein referred to Maxwell as his “main girlfriend.”
It is unclear exactly when or if their relationship went from romantic to platonic before he was jailed for soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008.
Following his initial release, the two were no longer seen in public together.
Maxwell was then linked to the founder of Gateway Computers, Ted Waitt. The two attended Chelsea Clinton‘s wedding together in 2010, and Maxwell reportedly helped Waitt to renovate a luxury yacht, Plan B, before they eventually split.
While the exact time and date of the wedding is unknown, Maxwell and Borgerson have been married since 2016.
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Ghislaine Maxwell’s romantic history
While Maxwell has not been married prior to her nuptials with Scott Borgerson, she has been linked to a series of high-profile men over the years.
In the 1990s, Maxwell dated Count Gianfranco Cicogna, an Italian aristocrat and millionaire. According to reports, the two ended on bad terms.
Following her relationship with Cicogna, Maxwell began dating Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who killed himself while behind bars in 2019.
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When did jury deliberations begin?
Jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial began deliberating on December 20, following approximately six hours of closing arguments.
The jury was handed the case minutes before 5pm, after two prosecutors and a defense lawyer made their closing arguments.
It came after 12 days of testimony.
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Maxwell deemed a ‘flight risk’
Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 and has repeatedly been denied bail meaning she’s brought to the court every day from her jail cell.
The $20 million she had stashed in several bank accounts, as well as holding more than one passport, meant a judge deemed her a flight risk.
Her detention means she has spent longer behind bars awaiting trial than Epstein, who was found hanged in his New York prison cell in 2019.
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What emerged during the trial?
- Jury shown creepy pictures of Ghislaine Maxwell giving Jeffrey Epstein a foot massage
- Maxwell and Epstein pictured lounging in the Queen’s log cabin at Balmoral
- Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly laid out a schoolgirl outfit to be worn while serving tea to Jeffrey Epstein
- Trump, Andrew and Bill Clinton all flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet, the paedo millionaire’s former pilot said
- Maxwell handed Epstein’s housekeeper a “degrading” 58-page booklet which shows staff were told to “see nothing and say nothing”
- A framed photo of Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein kissing shown
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Jurors declined to deliberate on Thursday
Jury deliberations on Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial were paused until Monday.
Before sending the jury home on Wednesday, judge Alison Nathan asked them if they would consider deliberating on Thursday.
“No, thank you. Jurors have made plans for tomorrow,” responded the jury, as reported by CNN.
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Alleged ‘book of rules,’ continued
The so-called book of rules included a section titled “grooming and guest relations”.
It ordered staff to remember “you see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing”.
The rules also stated that workers may only speak when a specific question is directed at them.
“Unobtrusive is the key,” it said.
Other instructions for communication included not discussing “personal problems” with guests.
And you must never address either Epstein, Maxwell or guests while you have your “hands in your pockets”.
Staff were also urged to have an “aim to please” attitude as they were expected to “anticipate the needs” of all those in the mansion.
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Alleged ‘book of rules’
As part of Ghislaine Maxwell’s alleged role as “madam,” she was said to have handed out a 58-page rulebook to staff which included instructions such as “see nothing, hear nothing”.
The massive booklet allegedly detailed every aspect of what the staff should do in Epstein’s so-called “House of Sin” – his $22million mansion in Palm Beach.