THE EPSTEIN/MAXWELL SAGA CONTINUES, LIKE A SNOWBALL ROLLING DOWN HILL

Reminder of what our president thinks of your co-equal branch of government… After Trump mused about renaming the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” a reporter noted that such a change would require congressional approval. Trump brushed aside the objection: “We are just going to do it,” before adding, “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that.” Now, back to a subject the Trump administration just can’t shake regardless what mind-numbing diversions they toss at democracy. Epstein. And the recent convo between the DOJ and Ghislaine Maxwell. Factoid: In normal times DOJ would have said that Maxwell’s denial of her own conduct proved at trial means she has zero credibility. In normal times this interview never would have taken place–she was charged with perjury. It would have been halted the minute Maxwell said she was framed. In normal times, they might have even prosecuted her for lying to a federal agent. But credibility and truth were clearly not the goals. One particularly revealing exchange. Blanche asked Maxwell about the millions of dollars bank records show Epstein paid to her over the course of their relationship. Blanche noted that “the reason why he paid you that is because you were performing an extraordinary service for him by recruiting young women, many of whom were underage to—so that he could sexually abuse them… That's their—that's their allegation.” He also said, “I am stuck with the witnesses at trial and what was said at trial on that issue.” He then asked Maxwell, “what do you dispute about that?” and allowed her, without pushback, to proceed to minimize the payments, claiming they were not actually payments at all but loans and business ventures. Blanche even offered some explanations on her behalf: “When a financial investigator like, the FBI looks at accounts, they don't know [what] kind of the conversations you're having. They just see the money.” So the #2 person at the DOJ refers to the evidence proved by federal prosecutors at trial as “their allegation.” And then asks a charged perjurer and convicted child abuser whom the district judge found lacking “candor” free rein to spew her own version of events. And even helpfully offers some explanations of his own. Spoiler. These were not just “allegations.” They were cold, hard facts–proved beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury and affirmed on appeal. Blanche allowed Maxwell to deny and deflect everything with no pushback. That is not transparency. It is a whitewash of accountability enabled by the highest levels of the DOJ. As the victims said, “DOJ gave Maxwell a “platform to rewrite history.” Is DOJ now saying that Maxwell is innocent? The jury got it wrong? The judge got it wrong? Or is it that that Maxwell “never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way…. The President was never inappropriate with anybody”? In exchange, she’s sitting in improved surroundings in Texas. And dreaming of a pardon.