FBI investigating Ghislaine Maxwell and others over links to Jeffrey Epstein
The FBI is reportedly investigating Ghislaine Maxwell and others linked with disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein’s accusers have said Ms Maxwell, his long-time associate and ex-girlfriend, procured underage girls for him to have sex with.
Although she hasn’t been accused of any criminal wrongdoing, Ms Maxwell is said to be the focus of a probe into those who ‘facilitated’ his behaviour.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the case said the identities of the other people being looked at have not been confirmed, but added there are no current plans to interview Prince Andrew.
Ms Maxwell has remained in hiding since Epstein was arrested in June.
She has made statements through her attorneys denying the claims against her by Epstein’s accusers.
Ms Maxwell and Epstein met in the early 1990s and dated for a few years, remaining close friends afterwards.
It is during this time that Epstein’s accusers say Ms Maxwell procured them for him.
They include Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says Epstein forced her to have sex with the Duke of York.
Ms Giuffre claims Ms Maxwell approached her when she worked at Florida resort Mar-a-Lago and offered her massage therapy training.
She said a massage given to Epstein led to him abusing her.
Other women have said Ms Maxwell manipulated them and threatened them if they tried to leave.
The FBI has set up a hotline for anyone with information on the scandal, through which the sources cited by Reuters say they have had numerous tips.
In the BBC interview that led to Andrew stepping back from his royal duties, he said Ms Maxwell introduced him to Epstein.
The Prince said he last saw her in early June but that they didn’t talk about Epstein ‘because he wasn’t in the news’.
A spokesperson for the royal family said that whether the agency interviewed Andrew was ‘a matter for the FBI.’ The Prince has denied all wrongdoing.
Epstein committed suicide in August, aged 66, just over a month after he was charged with trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005.
There are 22 lawsuits pending against his estate.
Although she hasn’t been accused of any criminal wrongdoing, Ms Maxwell is said to be the focus of a probe into those who ‘facilitated’ his behaviour.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the case said the identities of the other people being looked at have not been confirmed, but added there are no current plans to interview Prince Andrew.
Ms Maxwell has remained in hiding since Epstein was arrested in June.
She has made statements through her attorneys denying the claims against her by Epstein’s accusers.
Ms Maxwell and Epstein met in the early 1990s and dated for a few years, remaining close friends afterwards.
It is during this time that Epstein’s accusers say Ms Maxwell procured them for him.
They include Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says Epstein forced her to have sex with the Duke of York.
Ms Giuffre claims Ms Maxwell approached her when she worked at Florida resort Mar-a-Lago and offered her massage therapy training.
She said a massage given to Epstein led to him abusing her.
Other women have said Ms Maxwell manipulated them and threatened them if they tried to leave.
The FBI has set up a hotline for anyone with information on the scandal, through which the sources cited by Reuters say they have had numerous tips.
In the BBC interview that led to Andrew stepping back from his royal duties, he said Ms Maxwell introduced him to Epstein.
The Prince said he last saw her in early June but that they didn’t talk about Epstein ‘because he wasn’t in the news’.
A spokesperson for the royal family said that whether the agency interviewed Andrew was ‘a matter for the FBI.’ The Prince has denied all wrongdoing.
Epstein committed suicide in August, aged 66, just over a month after he was charged with trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005.
There are 22 lawsuits pending against his estate.
