Ghislaine Maxwell Offers To Give Up Foreign Citizenship In Third Request For Release - Forbes

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Topline

Attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell on Tuesday filed their third request for her release from jail while awaiting trial for her alleged role in a sex trafficking ring that prosecutors say was orchestrated by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, and this time Maxwell says she is willing to relinquish her British and French citizenships in an attempt to address concerns that she might flee the country.

Key Facts

The motion filed Tuesday afternoon also proposes a second bail condition: that Maxwell’s and her spouse’s assets be placed in a new account that will be monitored by a retired federal District Court judge and former U.S. attorney.

Her attorneys argue that it would be safe to release Maxwell—who has been charged with assisting, facilitating and contributing to Epstein’s abuse of minor girls between 1994 and 1997—if she fulfills these conditions.

Key Background

The new conditions proposed by Maxwell’s attorneys seek to address concerns outlined by the court in response to her previous two bail requests. Denying both the requests, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan deemed Maxwell’s risk of flight “simply too great,” citing her citizenships in countries which do not often extradite people to the U.S., as well as her and her partner’s financial assets. Maxwell’s lawyers increased her bond proposal from $5 million to $28.5 million for the second request, and included the testimony of family and friends who vouched for Maxwell’s character. Maxwell’s attorneys have repeatedly complained about the harsh conditions she faces in jail, most recently alleging that she was physically abused by a guard.

Crucial Quote

“It is impossible to overstate the deleterious effects of the conditions under which Ms. Maxwell is detained,” wrote Bobbi Sternheim, Maxwell’s attorney, in a letter to Nathan earlier this month accusing the jail of “over-management” due to Epstein’s suicide. “She is withering to a shell of her former self—losing weight, losing hair, and losing her ability to concentrate.”