<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> Justice Department officials are set to meet with </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/ghislaine-maxwell" rel="" target="" title="Ghislaine Maxwell"><span>Ghislaine Maxwell</span></a><span>, the imprisoned girlfriend of financier and convicted sex offender </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/jeffrey-epstein" rel="" target="" title="Jeffrey Epstein"><span>Jeffrey Epstein</span></a><span>, according to a person familiar with the matter.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Thursday (Friday AEST) meeting in Florida, which Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche said on Tuesday he was working to arrange, is part of an ongoing Justice Department effort to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of President Donald Trump's base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a social media post on Tuesday, Blanche said that Trump "has told us to release all credible evidence" and that if Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the Justice Department "will hear what she has to say".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/russia-plane-crash-dozens-on-board/ade44aac-0a34-4474-922a-c8e6d55822fd"><strong><span>48 people killed in passenger plane crash in Russia's far east</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday. The person who confirmed the meeting insisted on anonymity to describe a closed-door encounter to The Associated Press.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A lawyer for Maxwell confirmed on Tuesday there were discussions with the government and said Maxwell "will always testify truthfully".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The House Committee on Oversight issued a subpoena on Wednesday for Maxwell to testify before committee officials in August.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/jeffrey-epstein-update-us-justice-department-will-meet-with-ghislaine-maxwell-his-imprisoned-girlfriend/da5a5af8-cf05-4bfd-9559-26b3b729f87e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence and is housed at a low-security federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She was sentenced three years ago after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Officials have said Epstein killed himself in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial in 2019, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell's links to famous people, including royals, presidents and billionaires.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from Attorney-General Pam Bondi. The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/breakthrough-in-search-for-daughter-who-went-missing-25-years-ago/092dd61d-594d-48fc-86f0-518532230288"><strong><span>Breakthrough in search for girl who went missing 25 years ago</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/potential-tornado-uproots-trees-and-triggers-flash-flooding-in-perth-western-australia/569c4015-467e-4f65-920f-c14c37605463" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Freak tornado carves path of destruction</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>The Wall Street Journal</span></em><span> reported on Wednesday that Bondi told Trump in May that his name was among high-profile people mentioned in government files of Epstein, though the mention does not imply wrongdoing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump, a Republican, has said that he once thought Epstein was a "terrific guy" but that they later had a falling out.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A subcommittee on Wednesday voted to subpoena the Justice Department for documents related to Epstein. And senators in both major political parties have expressed openness to holding hearings on the matter after Congress' August recess.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has introduced legislation with bipartisan support that would require the Justice Department to "make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" related to Epstein and his associates.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican majority leader, Representative Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, have said they will address whatever outstanding Epstein-related issues are in Congress when they return from recess.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Epstein, under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2019, Epstein was charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>