Trump on DOJ moves on Epstein files
Washington — Todd Blanche, the second highest-ranking Justice Department official, is meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell at the U.S. attorney's office in Tallahassee on Thursday to discuss convicted sex officer Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to CBS News.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence at a low-security federal correctional institute in Tallahassee after she was convicted in 2021 for her role in helping Jeffrey Epstein recruit, groom and abuse underage girls.
Blanche's meeting comes after he said earlier this week that he planned to meet with Maxwell, an associate of Epstein's, "in the coming days."
"Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know?" Blanche wrote on social media Tuesday. He said he contacted Maxwell's lawyers at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi. "I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law — and no lead is off-limits," Blanche wrote.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump's 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," where he worked with Brennan for two years on the broadcast. Rosen has been a producer for several CBS News podcasts, including "The Takeout," "The Debrief" and "Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen."
