Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime girlfriend of notorious American financer, Jeffrey Epstein, is on trial for allegedly being an accomplice in his sex trafficking ring dating back to the 90s. The Maxwell trial is defined by feminine deflection and elitist cover up.
Maxwell’s trial started Nov. 29 in Manhattan, N.Y. Maxwell is facing the charges of enticing minors to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting minors with the intent to engage in sexual activity, two counts of conspiracy and two counts of perjury. These charges all together add up to a maximum 70-year prison sentence. Maxwell is pleading not guilty of these charges and claims to not be knowledgeable of Epstein’s trafficking ring.
The Maxwell trial has multiple criticisms, some in the favor of the defendant and others against her. One criticism in her favor is the difficulty of finding unbiased jurors due to the notoriety of the Epstein sex trafficking ring. This is a valid criticism, but there is not much that can be done to solve this problem because the case is high profiled in its entirety and if she is innocent, evidence will speak louder than preconceived notions.
Another criticism in her favor is the questioning if she is a victim herself because of her status as a female involved with powerful men. This is not a valid argument by any means. Maxwell met Epstein in 1994 when she was 33 years old. At that age, a person’s mind is fully developed; she was, therefore, cognitive of her alleged crimes. She was able to maintain a luxurious lifestyle and benefit from Epstein’s wealth with her crimes. She is not a victim; she is an opportunist.
The main criticism against Maxwell is that she was in the center of the alleged sex trafficking operation. Juan Alessi, a former worker of 12 years at Epstein’s estate in Palm Beach, claims Maxwell orchestrated every illegal sex act that happened in the Palm Beach mansion. Alessi stated that Maxwell would ask him to pick up girls and bring them to the Palm Beach mansion and he would go to Maxwell for home upkeep instructions, he never asked Epstein. Maxwell was the “lady of the house.”
In the trial, Maxwell’s lawyers are using the empty chair defense. The lawyers claim the law wants her in place of Epstein because he is now dead due to suicide, or assassination according to some conspirators. This defense does not excuse Maxwell’s crimes. Even if Epstein were still alive and the law could prosecute him, she would still have to stand trial for her own crimes. This trial is not just about Maxwell, it is about finding the other disgusting individuals tied into this elitist, pedophile ring. Maxwell supposedly holds the key to unlocking the case.
She is said to have a little black book of 97 pages documenting the contacts in Maxwell and Epstein’s operation. Alleged victim in a separate civil suit against Maxwell, Charlene Latham, says guests on Epstein’s plane included: Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Beyoncé Knowles, Harvey Weinstein, Kanye West, Walt Disney Corp., CBS Corp and the New York Police Department. If the little black book is presented in court, it may reveal these influential names, leading to one of the largest prosecutions in the U.S. history.
The high-profile names and corporations that could be in the little black book also explain why the Maxwell trial is receiving minimal coverage. As of now, there are no live streams of the trial, only sketches of the court are being presented.
News corporations were listed as being associated with the scheme and want to keep their crimes out of the public sphere. Elitism is not only within the trial, but also seeps outside it. The lack of coverage on the trial displays the sad affect elitism has on democratic access to information. Money is not just power; it is also corruption.
The Maxwell trial overall is another case of the 1% in the U.S. covering up their crimes with their money and deceiving the general population with popular rhetoric such as feminism. This trial will most likely go nowhere. It will most likely end either with the death of Maxwell or destruction of evidence.