Speculation is growing that Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, may cut a deal with the federal government in a broader investigation of Epstein's social circle, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
Maxwell was found guilty on Wednesday of five of six charges related to her involvement in Epstein's sexual abuse of teenage girls and could face up to 65 years in prison.
The former British socialite may aim for a reduced sentence by naming powerful interlopers of her now-deceased boyfriend, according to the report.
However, defense lawyers and sexual-crimes prosecutors have cast doubt on the government's appetite to strike a bargain, questioning whether Maxwell has any information the government does not already have.
"It all depends on who she would be cooperating against and what she has to offer," said Defense Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman. "I would not be surprised if she had already tried to cooperate, and it had failed.
"They don't want to take the hand of someone involved in a criminal operation and let them cooperate against people who are well below them," he added.
Wendy Murphy, a former federal sex-crimes prosecutor who now teaches at New England Law/Boston, said the relative absence of Epstein from Maxwell's trial was part of a government strategy.
"They didn't need more to prove conspiracy," she said. "They didn't need to overdo it. There was some weakness in the victim's testimony, but it was more than offset by other evidence."
Murphy suggested the next chapter of the Epstein investigation will come through civil action against Prince Andrew.
Andrew faces a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre in which she alleges she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with his friends — including Prince Andrew and that the prince was aware she was underage. Prince Andrew strongly denies the allegations.
"Prince Andrew may be the next shoe to drop, and it may be the only shoe," Murphy said. The windows have closed on lawsuits for the most part, and I don't know of another lawsuit with the potential to expose information."
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