'Do you believe this garbage?': Legal expert questions credibility of Ghislaine Maxwell's DOJ transcripts
WASHINGTON, DC: Former federal prosecutor Kristy Greenberg slammed the DOJ for releasing Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony, calling it “garbage” and accusing the department of using it to distract from Donald Trump’s possible ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
She argued that the release aimed to reframe the narrative and downplay any damaging information about the president.
Greenberg also challenged the DOJ’s credibility, questioning why officials appeared to legitimize Maxwell’s claims without offering any evidence to support them.
Legal expert Kristy Greenberg says DOJ put out transcript to reframe narrative
(@msnbc/screengrab)
During the Friday, August 22 episode of 'The Weeknight', former federal prosecutor Kristy Greenberg spoke with anchor Michael Steele, stating, “You can’t escape the obvious here.”
She continued, “When all the documents, if they ever do come out, whatever, we'll get to what's in the house, what they receive today when all of this stuff starts to flesh out and Donald Trump's name is on every other frickin page at that point, [they] so poisoned the well with, with trivial crap like this. Where does that leave us? Where does this all go?"
Greenberg then criticized the release of Maxwell’s transcripts, claiming it was a deliberate attempt to shift the narrative. “So I think they very intentionally put this out to reframe the narrative,” she said.
She went on to argue that the move is part of a broader strategy, one that included bringing out former Attorney General William Barr to publicly state he never saw anything linking Trump to the Epstein case, despite never being properly briefed on the investigation.
Kristy Greenberg questions whether DOJ verified Ghislaine Maxwell's claims
Later in the interview, Kristy Greenberg criticized the DOJ’s intent behind releasing Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony, claiming, “All of it is designed to say, nothing to see here, you don't need to worry about what's mentioned about Trump in the file.’”
She questioned whether any meaningful accountability would follow, especially in Congress. “And I don't expect that you are going to see that being produced to the House,” she said. “What’s [Oversight Chair James] Comer going to do? He's not going to enforce the subpoena.”
Greenberg argued that officials released Maxwell’s interview to control the public narrative and distract attention. “So they hope this will frame the narrative, people will be happy with what she's saying," she added. “I don’t see how.”
Expressing frustration, Greenberg directed sharp criticism at the Department of Justice. “And the real question ... for the Department of Justice is, do you believe this garbage?” she asked.
“You put this out there, you interviewed her. You didn't stop her at any point and say you didn't believe her. Do you believe this or are you vouching for her credibility? Have you done anything to corroborate her? Because the victims are corroborated.”
She pressed further, questioning whether the DOJ had done anything to verify Maxwell’s claims. “They got a conviction at trial when they said she abused them. And when they said he facilitated her abuse, that was proven at trial. What proof is there that she's telling the truth? Why are you promoting this?”
Greenberg concluded by calling for oversight of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “I mean, there are so many questions,” she said. “Congress should be hauling [Blanche's] butt before Congress to testify about why he conducted this interview in the first place, what he's done to corroborate her, and why he's made it public.”
What is in the released transcripts of Ghislaine Maxwell?
The Justice Department has released Ghislaine Maxwell's testimony transcripts — revealing a series of striking claims and denials. The documents, spanning hundreds of pages and made public on Friday, capture the convicted sex trafficker’s testimony as she continues to serve a 20-year prison sentence.
Throughout the two-day interview with Blanche, conducted on July 24 and 25, Maxwell avoided implicating any high-profile figures, including Trump. She stated, “The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
Maxwell also rejected the existence of a so-called “client list” and claimed former President Bill Clinton never visited Epstein’s private island. Addressing a widely circulated photo showing Clinton receiving a massage from Epstein accuser Chauntae Davies, Maxwell said she believed Clinton never received a massage from any of Epstein’s victims.
Additionally, Maxwell expressed doubt about Epstein’s official cause of death. “I do not believe he died by suicide,” she told Blanche. “If it is indeed murder, I believe it was an internal situation.”
