Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell denied $28.5mn bail bond
Accused child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has had her bail request denied by a federal judge, court records show. Her lawyers had requested she be released on a $28.5 million bond ahead of her trial.
Judge Alison Nathan has once again denied Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged madam bail, declaring her to be an “extreme flight risk,” according to court records unsealed Monday.
Maxwell’s lawyers had insisted the living conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center were “intolerable” and requested she be released into “house arrest” at a friend’s home, where she would be monitored by private security guards to ensure she didn’t skip town.
The bail offer was considerably higher than the $5 million offered up following Maxwell’s arrest in July. Her lawyers proposed the $28.5 million package that was supposed to represent “all of her and her spouse’s assets, her family’s livelihood, and the financial security of her closest friends and family.” Some $22.5 million of that was said to come directly from Maxwell and her spouse.
But prosecutors remained unmoved by her sob story about poor living conditions, noting she is permitted to leave her cell for 13 hours a day, has her own shower, phone, and television, and even has the use of two computers - making her considerably more privileged than the average inmate.
Her trial is due to start in July 2021. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges related to sex trafficking and perjury, and faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted. Epstein, her now-deceased associate, allegedly killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges of his own.
Maxwell has insisted she knew nothing about his “scheme to recruit underage girls for sexual massages” despite significant evidence - including the testimony of multiple then-underage girls - to the contrary.
The accused child predator’s lawyers have hinted if she is forced to remain in jail until the start of her trial, she could follow Epstein in committing suicide. They claim she has lost weight and even some hair under the stressful jail conditions, which they insist are worse than those endured by terrorists.
Maxwell’s and Epstein’s numerous connections to celebrities and politicians have fueled endless speculation about espionage, blackmail, and other skulduggery, especially given rumors around Maxwell’s own family history. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was allegedly a spy for the UK, Israel, and the USSR.

Blinken said "no party has a monopoly on good ideas," and he embraced Trump's tough stance in dealing with China.

The completed "Field of Flags" display on the National Mall was lit up by powerful beacons on Monday. The display was...

President Donald J. Trump granted pardons to 73 individuals and commuted the sentences of an additional 70 individuals.

ByteDance has launched a new payment service within Douyin, the Chinese version of short-video sharing app TikTok.

President Trump reportedly wants to create a third party once he leaves office.

A surge in secret software used to spy on staff working from home during the pandemic has led to calls for new laws to be brought in against unscrupulous bosses.

"I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state,"...

Two of the 12 were removed from duty for making "inappropriate comments or texts," said National Guard Commander General Daniel Hokanson.

Donald Trump, who has not appeared in public for a week, broke days of silence with a videoed farewell address which the White...

A heartbroken boyfriend has paid tribute to a ‘selfless’ teenage mum who died after giving birth at home following an ‘unknown pregnancy’.

Joe Biden "has spoken of the need for a path to citizenship for the individuals who have been in this country for many years,...

A married teacher claims she could not have had sex with a pupil as she is too short for the position in question.

The losses marked the first time the company has found itself in the red in the two decades since it was publicly listed.

The army is being drafted in to help hospitals in Shropshire facing staff shortages due to a rise in Covid-19 sickness levels.

University heads in meeting on campus governance and security issues say they will discipline any student who violates school regulations.

Some residents say they have been taking extra precautions all along given what they see as the inherent risks of living in crowded Yau Tsim Mong district.

Wharf (Holdings) and CK Asset are lining up to release their new developments on The Peak and in the Mid-Levels soon, betting on...

Dozens of accounts involved in laundering scheme to clean money that had been swindled online. Officers from Tuen Mun district...

Thousands living in Sham Shui Po may be required to undergo mandatory testing after health officials announced that a similar mandatory...

Hong Kong’s health chief has announced that the 15 Lunar New Year fairs in the city will resume flower selling, with the number of stalls halved.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 6.3 percent in September - November 2020 to 6.6 percent in October - December...

Around 30 percent of those hospitalized with the coronavirus in England were readmitted for treatment within five months of their...

New statistics show that an estimated 5.4 million people in England had coronavirus antibodies in December, and the rate of infection...

The UK’s Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has warned the public that the national lockdown may last a further six to eight...