Ghislaine Maxwell, the Epstein files, and a president under pressure – How the Justice Department is trying to reinvent itself

he meeting is as symbolic as it is politically explosive: On this Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice is set to meet with one of the most feared women in the country – Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein and a central figure in a sexual abuse scandal that continues to shake the foundations of American power. While serving her long prison sentence in a federal facility in Florida, the department under Attorney General Pam Bondi plans to speak with her – officially for investigative review, unofficially likely for damage control. The outrage over the still-classified Epstein files continues to grow. And the pressure is no longer coming just from the political left. According to a person familiar with the matter, the initiative for the meeting came from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who arranged it in an effort to counter the accusations of lacking transparency. Criticism of the secrecy surrounding the Epstein documents had intensified in recent weeks – particularly after it emerged that Donald Trump’s name appears in the investigative files, according to a newspaper citing internal government sources. Bondi, the president’s close ally and the nation’s top law enforcement official, is said to have informed Trump personally. Now, Democratic lawmakers are demanding her testimony before Congress – the first direct challenge to an attorney general who has so far been considered unwaveringly loyal. Meanwhile, the Justice Department is attempting damage control while the Senate is already engaged in its next showdown. A Democratic proposal to release the Epstein files was blocked by Republicans on Thursday – the first time the GOP majority was forced to publicly take a side. Senator Cory Booker had attempted to tie the passage of a bill on opioid trafficking to the condition that the Epstein documents be released. But Texas Republican John Cornyn countered with an amendment that effectively nullified Booker’s proposal. Republicans voted unanimously for Cornyn’s addition – citing their trust in Pam Bondi’s handling of the matter.

While one half of Washington remains busy tossing the ball of responsibility back and forth, the Trump administration is shifting the debate elsewhere – loudly, deliberately, and with stagecraft. On Thursday morning, Trump posted a demonstrative message on Truth Social, declaring his support for Elon Musk and his struggling company Tesla. “I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE,” the president wrote – just hours after Tesla’s stock fell by nine percent due to disappointing quarterly results. It was a gesture of conciliation after their recent feud had escalated: Musk had accused Trump of worsening the national debt with his budget bill and announced plans to form his own political party. Trump, in turn, had threatened to cut federal support for Musk’s companies. At the same time, another symbolic moment played out at the White House: Trump welcomed construction workers currently paving over the Rose Garden – a project raising more than just botanical questions. The president posed with the workers in the Oval Office, signed hats, and released a group photo. The lawn outside the seat of power, once reserved for memorial ceremonies and state receptions, is now being concreted over. It is an image that seamlessly fits the political climate: the Rose Garden as a parking lot, the Justice Department in crisis mode, the Senate fighting against transparency.

et the Trump administration continues to make headlines on other fronts. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has surprisingly confirmed Mike Waltz as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The Republican congressman from Florida, a former elite soldier with a background in national security, had long been considered a controversial nominee – particularly due to the administration’s confrontational stance toward international institutions. Still, Waltz received support from Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who explained that his level-headedness could serve as a stabilizing force within the Trump administration. The president’s influence becomes even more visible in his appointments to top legal positions: Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was once again confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee as U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. – despite fierce opposition criticism. A second vote became necessary after Democrats had walked out during the first attempt. Pirro, once co-host of “The Five” and known for her combative rhetoric, is now set to lead federal prosecutions in the capital. (see also: https://kaizen-blog.org/en/die-kommissarin-des-chaos-jeanine-pirro-und-die-letzte-staffel-der-amerikanischen-rechtsstaatlichkeit/ ). She replaces Trump’s previous nominee Ed Martin Jr., who had become too controversial even for some Republicans due to his outspoken support for the January 6 Capitol rioters – in a political climate where loyalty to Trump often outweighs legal integrity. And so the signs continue to point toward a government course increasingly at odds with the legal traditions of the United States – while at the same time, the most important confidante in a billion-dollar abuse network waits in a Florida prison for a meeting with the Justice Department. Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman who knows too much and was convicted too late, may now become the final witness in a game that no one can fully control. Perhaps that is the real reason why her name is now reappearing in the calendars of the nation’s top officials. Not to uncover the truth – but to retain control over who gets to define it. https://kaizen-blog.org/die-kommissarin-des-chaos-jeanine-pirro-und-die-letzte-staffel-der-amerikanischen-rechtsstaatlichkeit/ ). Sie ersetzt Trumps bisherigen Kandidaten Ed Martin Jr., der vielen Republikanern durch seine demonstrative Unterstützung der Kapitolstürmer vom 6. Januar 2021 zu heikel geworden war – selbst in einem politischen Klima, in dem Loyalität zur Trump-Linie oft mehr zählt als juristische Integrität. Und so verdichten sich die Signale eines Regierungskurses, der sich vom juristischen Selbstverständnis der Vereinigten Staaten zunehmend entfernt – während gleichzeitig die wichtigste Mitwisserin eines milliardenschweren Missbrauchsnetzwerks in einem Gefängnis in Florida auf ein Gespräch mit dem Justizministerium wartet. Ghislaine Maxwell, die Frau, die zu viel weiß und zu spät verurteilt wurde, könnte nun zur letzten Zeugin in einem Spiel werden, das niemand mehr vollständig kontrolliert. Vielleicht ist das auch der wahre Grund, warum ihr Name nun wieder in den Kalendern der höchsten Beamten auftaucht. Nicht um die Wahrheit zu ermitteln – sondern um die Deutungshoheit darüber zu retten.

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