Ghislaine Maxwell married but keeps mystery spouse's name secret to hide extent of her wealth: Prosecutors
Prosecutors have revealed a shocking detail about Jeffrey Epstein's “madam”, Ghislaine Maxwell, as they claimed that the 58-year-old is secretly married to a mystery man whose name she has refused to disclose. The secret came out as Maxwell pleaded not guilty via video link to charges related to Epstein's sex trafficking ring.
US Attorney Alison Moe, one of the three prosecutors on the case, told the court about Maxwell’s secret marriage at Tuesday's, July 14, detention hearing. During the hearing, Moe spoke about the lack of transparency in the British socialite’s filings and asked who would co-sign her bond if she was being released on bail. “In addition to failing to describe in any way the absence of proposed cosigners of a bond, the defendant also makes no mention whatsoever about the financial circumstances or assets of her spouse whose identity she declined to provide to Pretrial Services,” Moe said. “There's no information about who will be co-signing this bond or their assets, and no details whatsoever." However, Moe did not reveal the name of Maxwell’s secret husband or the details regarding her marriage.
While a source familiar with the case said the revelation regarding Maxwell’s marriage was done purposely as part of the government's argument to the judge that the longtime companion of the infamous sex offender Epstein has not been explicitly forthcoming about her situations and finances, ABC News reported.
On Tuesday, US District Judge Alison Nathan also ruled that Maxwell is a flight risk and ordered her to be held without bail until her trial, which is expected to happen on July 12, 2021. Last week, in the court filings, prosecutors said Maxwell poses an "extreme" flight risk as they cited her "three passports, large sums of money, extensive international connections”. But the defense lawyers countered the claims and mentioned that she "has not left the country even once since Epstein's arrest a year ago" and "her conduct has been entirely consistent with someone who fully intends to remain in this country and fight any allegations brought against her." Again on Tuesday hearing, Mark Cohen, Maxwell's attorney, argued that "the notion of preparing a defense" with her in jail amid the Covid-19 pandemic "is not realistic."
According to reports, Maxwell is alleged to have groomed girls as young as 14 for Epstein whom he abused between 1994 and 1997. At the time, she is said to be his girlfriend. Maxwell was arrested on July 2 and if found guilty, she could face up to 35 years jail sentence.
During the hearing, the court also heard statements from two of Epstein's alleged victims. One of the women said that Maxwell planned to “deliver” her to Epstein despite knowing the “heinous dehumanization that awaited me”. She also described the socialite as “sociopathic” and claimed she would “have done anything to get what she wanted - to satisfy Jeffrey Epstein”.
The victim added that “if [Maxwell] is out, I need to be protected,” as she gave an example of a late-night phone call she received threatening her two-year-old child. Another, Epstein's alleged victim, Annie Farmer, spoke out against Maxwell and alleged that she “has never shown any remorse [and] tormented her survivors... She has associates across the globe, some of great means.”