Donald Trump has recently made allegations regarding Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex abuser, claiming that Epstein “stole” young female workers from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. These comments come in the shadow of the recent power-for-sex scandal surrounding Epstein’s vast criminal enterprise and his circle of powerful friends.
Epstein, who was known for his high-profile social circle, is currently implicated in a wide-ranging sex trafficking operation involving underage girls. Ghislaine Maxwell, who was previously Epstein’s girlfriend, is currently facing a 20-year prison sentence. Complicit in his movement, she was not convicted on the grounds that she had abused minors. Virginia Giuffre is perhaps the most famous accuser of Epstein. She alleges that Maxwell recruited her when she was an employee as a bathroom attendant at Mar-a-Lago.
Giuffre alleges that Maxwell offered her money to be Epstein’s personal masseuse. She argues that “massage” often implied sex in that context. She graphically describes her traumatic experience of being exploited by both Maxwell and Epstein. They forced her to give other men in Epstein’s circle sexual favors too. In addition to the sex trafficking charges, Giuffre claimed that Epstein forced her into sexual relationships with other influential men.
In recent weeks, Trump has been critical of Epstein and publicly tried to remove himself from the convicted sex offender. He was doing tons of great work, but then, not too long after that, he did it a second time. I said, ‘Get out of here.’ He further explained his concerns regarding Epstein’s behavior at Mar-a-Lago, noting, “People were taken out of the [Mar-a-Lago] spa, hired by him. In other words, gone.”
While Giuffre’s allegations against Maxwell are deeply disturbing, they paint a horrific picture of manipulation and exploitation. As a young teenager staying at Mar-a-Lago, she met Maxwell. She claimed these advances—which Maxwell orchestrated—culminated in her victimization by Epstein.
Law enforcement officials are being secretive about further documents related to the case. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is one of those ringing this alarm. They further contend that these actions would severely undermine victim privacy by making sensitive information about victims public or allow the sharing of child pornography gathered as evidence.
