Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer urged her to avoid ‘reputational suicide,’ speak out against ‘toast’ Jeffrey Epstein
NY Post
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer once urged her to speak out to avoid what he called “reputational suicide” — even if billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein wanted her to stay silent, court documents released this week show.
Philip Barden, Maxwell’s legal rep in the United Kingdom, minced no words in pushing her to be more forceful in her own defense after they’d issued a brief statement denying accusations she was involved in Epstein’s sex trafficking and labeling accuser Virginia Giuffre a liar.
“I can see why JE doesn’t want this as it may not suit him but he is already toast,” Barden wrote, referring to Epstein by his initials in the 2015 email to Maxwell.
“We can’t let you sit back and be a conspirator by silence,” Barden contended.
Epstein Giuffre had made then-sensational allegations against the financier in a federal court case filed against him by his victims — and Maxwell feared she would come under fire as well.
Maxwell — who was ultimately sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021 for aiding and abetting Epstein’s trafficking of young women and girls — dithered over what strategy would be best to save herself as she sent anguished messages about being linked to President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and others.
