Ghislaine Maxwell was divorcing husband Scott Borgerson when she was arrested for pimping, claims lawyer
Ghislaine Maxwell was reportedly "in the process of divorcing her husband” when she was arrested on suspicions of child grooming for being the late Jeffrey Epstein's top pimp. The 58-year-old British socialite, who's been married to tech CEO Scott Borgerson, 44, made the claims to court chiefs as she is trying to get out of a New York jail on bail.
This new update, however, undermines Maxwell's claims that her marriage would keep her in the US and reduce her chances of fleeing the country should she get bail. Just earlier this week, Maxwell filed for bail in the US District Court in Manhattan with her husband of four years, Borggerson, pleading for her release. The couple is offering up more than $28million in bail, but acting US attorney Audrey Strauss alleged that the 'madam' made “inconsistent statements” during her pre-trial services after being arrested. Strauss said in a court filing "The defendant said she was ‘in the process of divorcing her husband'," as Maxwell is also believed to not want to live with her husband if she gets out on bail.
Prosecutors want Maxwell kept in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre before her trial due next summer for charges of grooming young girls for the deceased sex trafficker. The claims of her not wanting to live with her husband comes after Borgerson wrote a letter to the court appealing for Maxwell's release. He claims the Maxwell "described in the criminal charges is not the person we know." The letter says: "I have never witnessed anything inappropriate with Ghislaine; quite the contrary. The Ghislaine I know is a wonderful and loving person. The reporting of Ghislaine over the past year has exploded exponentially, from the time of Epstein's arrest and death in custody in the summer of 2019 until Ghislaine's own arrest in July of this year. There are many examples of violence whose seeds were born in conspiracy theories and the experiences of QAnon, Pizzagate, and the recent Judge Salas attacks are terrifying."
Strauss also noted in her rebuttal to Maxwell's latest bail attempt that her alleged victims have also pleaded she be kept in jail. Her lawyers have suggested Maxwell be released to a New York house with an ankle monitor, but the victims have argued against that too. "First, the victims sincerely fear that if the defendant is released, she will be able to evade justice," Strauss said. "Second, the pain that the victims still feel to this day as a result of the defendant’s conduct supports the conclusion that this offense is especially serious and may result in a lengthy sentence.”
One of the alleged victims, Annie Farmer, branded Maxwell a "psychopath", pleading she doesn't get bail. She said: "Ghislaine Maxwell sexually abused me as a child and the government has the responsibility to make sure that she stands trial for her crimes. I do not believe that will happen or that any of the women she exploited will see justice if she is released on bail. She has lived a life of privilege, abusing her position of power to live beyond the rules. Fleeing the country in order to escape once more would fit with her long history of anti-social behavior."
A decision on Maxwell's latest plea for bail still remains pending from the judge.