The household of Virginia Giuffre, a girl who accused financier Jeffrey Epstein of sex-trafficking and assault, has expressed shock at latest statements from United States President Donald Trump, alleging that Epstein “stole” her from his spa.
In an announcement launched late on Wednesday, the household referred to as for extra info to be launched concerning the Epstein case.
“It was surprising to listen to President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was conscious that Virginia had been ‘stolen’ from Mar-a-Lago,” the household’s assertion stated.
“We and the general public are asking for solutions; survivors deserve this.”
Questions on Trump’s relationship with Epstein have dogged the president in latest weeks, with critics calling on him to launch additional paperwork the US authorities might have.
Trump himself has weighed in on the controversy, most not too long ago whereas getting back from his journey to Scotland this week.
A fallout over worker poaching?
As he flew on Air Power One, Trump introduced up Giuffre, one in all Epstein’s most high-profile accusers.
Giuffre died by suicide in April at her farm in western Australia. Beforehand, as an adolescent, she had labored as a spa attendant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, the place her father was additionally employed in upkeep.
Trump accused Epstein, a convicted intercourse offender, of poaching staff like Giuffre.
“Folks have been taken out of the spa, employed by him. In different phrases, gone,” Trump stated. “Once I heard about it, I informed him, I stated, ‘Pay attention, we don’t need you taking our individuals.’”
He added that Epstein’s actions brought on a rupture of their relationship: “Not too lengthy after that, he did it once more. And I stated, ‘Out of right here.’”
His statements sparked a flurry of latest media protection. White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has since defended Trump’s actions.
“The very fact stays that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his membership for being a creep to his feminine staff,” she stated.
Upon taking workplace for a second time period, Trump and his officers pledged to launch authorities paperwork associated to high-profile instances, together with the assassinations of figures like civil rights chief Martin Luther King Jr and US President John F Kennedy.
Lots of the recordsdata in query have been the topic of quite a few conspiracy theories.
Within the case of Epstein, conspiracy theories have swirled concerning the circumstances of his 2019 jailhouse demise and the potential affect he wielded over highly effective acquaintances.
Figures in Trump’s present administration, like Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel and his deputy director Dan Bongino, brazenly speculated whether or not Epstein had a “black e-book” or “consumer listing” that he used to coerce authorities and trade leaders.
Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi fuelled these rumours when she appeared on Fox Information in February and stated such an inventory was “sitting on my desk proper now”.
Household requires Maxwell to ‘rot’
So far, the Trump administration’s doc releases have failed to supply main revelations concerning the Epstein scandal.
In July, the FBI and the Division of Justice issued a joint assertion additionally affirming that their assessment revealed no consumer listing and no proof that Epstein blackmailed figures of energy.
That assessment, nonetheless, did little to abate hypothesis amongst those that have been following the Epstein conspiracy theories, together with members of Trump’s “Make America Nice Once more” (MAGA) base.
Experiences have since emerged that the Justice Division briefed Trump about his identify showing within the Epstein recordsdata, and Democrats have sought to leverage the controversy to dent Trump’s reputation.
Trump, in the meantime, has referred to as for federal grand jury data to be launched, although consultants level out that these are unlikely to comprise the complete scope of proof within the Epstein case.
Justice Division officers additionally met final week with Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted intercourse offender and former girlfriend of Epstein who’s accused of sex-trafficking and grooming victims on his behalf.
Lawyer Normal Bondi has stated some Epstein supplies can’t be launched, as they comprise delicate details about victims.
Maxwell, in the meantime, has supplied to testify earlier than Congress in change for a pardon and has petitioned the Supreme Courtroom to assessment her case. She is serving a 20-year sentence in federal jail.
In Wednesday’s message, Giuffre’s family urged the federal government to not pardon Maxwell for her crimes.
“Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster who deserves to rot in jail for the remainder of her life,” their assertion learn.