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Jeffery Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell said she was “very central” to the “startup” of the Clinton Global Initiative, according to a newly released transcript.
The Department of Justice on Friday released a transcript of its interview with Maxwell that took place on July 24-25. United States Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell while she was inside a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, until recently.
During the interview, Maxwell described her involvement with the Clinton Global Initiative, which hosts an annual meeting with “leaders of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations; prominent voices in business, labor, and finance; youth leaders and grassroots activists; heads of state and prominent government officials; global citizens; and more,” according to its website.
“You were part of the ramp up or the startup of the Clinton Global Initiative,” Blanche asked?
GHISLAINE MAXWELL SAYS NO JEFFREY EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST EXISTS AS DOJ RELEASES INTERVIEW RECORDINGS
Ghislaine Maxwell said in an interview with the DOJ that she was “very central” to the “startup” of the Global Clinton Initiative. (Getty Images)
“I was,” Maxwell responded. “I would say very central to that, yes.”
Maxwell added that Epstein was “very enthusiastic” about her involvement in the initiative.
“[Epstein] supported me to help them, but then I think he may have tried to use that to insert himself in some way, that would not have surprised me at all,” Maxwell added of her work with the Clinton Global Initiative. “And I know that he was annoying, in terms that I could catch him on the phone and he wouldn’t always agree with what I wanted to do. And I was like, it’s not your idea. I don’t really care what you think, but that didn’t go over so well.”
Maxwell also said she went to Davos with former President Bill Clinton at least one time, adding that he never went to Epstein’s private island. Maxwell said she met former President Bill Clinton at a White House event and later became friendly with him through former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine.
“Once for sure. And I think maybe twice, but I don’t remember,” she said.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WEIGHS RELEASE OF GHISLAINE MAXWELL INTERVIEW
Former President Bill Clinton speaks onstage during The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 4, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The New York Times)
During the interview, Maxwell also said former President Bill Clinton was her friend, “not Epstein’s friend.”
Maxwell also revealed she previously met former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a flight.
“I want to say – again, please don’t hold me to it, but I want to say that it was on a flight that came from the island from – not from the island, from the Nantucket or – or Martha’s Vineyard back to New York, is what I think. I might be wrong,” Maxwell said.
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Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families 2025 on March 24, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Getty Images)
Maxwell even said she attended Chelsea Clinton’s wedding with an ex-boyfriend. Epstein was not at the wedding, she said.
David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s lawyer, said in a statement: “Ghislaine Maxwell is innocent and never should have been tried, much less convicted, in this case.”
“The materials newly released by the Department of Justice make this clear. Ms. Maxwell answered every question. She did not refuse to respond and did not dodge any question. She supported her answers with documents and other objective evidence. Her demeanor and credibility are clear for anyone to hear,” Markus said. “She was able to do this despite five torturous years in custody, some of which in the worst imaginable conditions.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Clinton Foundation for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.