Ghislaine Maxwell seeks delay in Jeffrey Epstein victim’s lawsuit
Ghislaine Maxwell can’t be questioned under oath about
Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme because she is under criminal
investigation, an attorney for the accused madam writes in new papers.
The argument by Maxwell’s attorney Laura Menninger is a rare
acknowledgment of the risk facing the British socialite who is said to be in
hiding.
Menninger asked a federal judge to freeze a lawsuit brought
by alleged Epstein victim Annie Farmer due to the investigation by federal
prosecutors in New York. Farmer claims that both Epstein and Maxwell sexually
abused her at the multimillionaire sex offender’s New Mexico ranch. Farmer
seeks damages from Maxwell and Epstein’s $634 million estate.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New
York has publicly and repeatedly announced its ‘ongoing’ criminal investigation
into alleged Epstein ‘co-conspirators’ on the same topic as [Farmer] alleges in
this case,” Menninger wrote in a letter last week.
“Denial of a stay, particularly a stay of Ms. Maxwell’s
deposition, pending outcome of the criminal investigation could impair her
Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination ... expose the defense’s
theory to the prosecution in advance of trial, or otherwise prejudice the
criminal case.”
Farmer’s attorney, David Boies, wrote that Maxwell hadn’t
shared enough details about the nature of the criminal probe to justify a
delay.
“Maxwell has provided no information about the subject
matter of the criminal investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, the status
of the investigation, or even disclosed whether she herself is a target of the
Southern District’s investigation,” Boies wrote Monday.
“Maxwell therefore cannot use the existence of a criminal
investigation to dodge her discovery obligations in this matter, particularly
while at the same time refusing to provide any details or reasons as to why the
investigation is a reason to stay the action.”
A hearing that will address Maxwell’s request for a delay is
scheduled for Friday.
Many Epstein accusers say that Maxwell, 58, lured them into
his underage sex trafficking scheme. They claim she recruited new young
victims, helped arrange abusive “massages” of Epstein and sometimes
participated in depraved acts.
Maxwell, the daughter of British press baron Robert Maxwell,
has adamantly denied wrongdoing and kept a low profile since Epstein killed
himself in a jail cell last year while awaiting trial. Victims’ attorneys have
formally served Maxwell lawsuits via email because they could not determine her
whereabouts.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman has vowed that the
investigation into Epstein’s enablers is ongoing. Berman called out Prince
Andrew, who is a friend of Maxwell’s, in March for refusing to cooperate with
the probe.
Maxwell sued Epstein’s estate, arguing it should cover legal
fees and personal security costs. She claims Epstein’s longtime attorney Darren
Indyke assured her the financier would support her financially.
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