By Matthew Russell Lee Patreon Song Video Ruling
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SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 20 – Ghislaine Maxwell, charged with sex trafficking and other charges, is nearing the end of trial that started on November 29, after the November 23 final-final pre trial conference, vlog here.
On December 18 in a rare Saturday charging conference, Inner City Press learned a bit more about Maxwell's legal team. Laura Menninger came and left, presumably preparing her closing argument for December 20.
On Sunday December 19, with the draft charge still not in the docket, AUSA Maurene Comey wrote in jointly with Maxwell and her legal team stating that with regard to the closing arguments, "the public interest in viewing the parties’ presentations is marginal." Inner City Press immediately filed opposition to Judge Nathan, calling this inaccurate and insulting, and asking for unsealing (and a public call-in line). Inner City Press letter here and here.
On the morning of December 20 AUSA Alison Moe gave the government's closing argument. Inner City Press live tweeted here, podcast here, 8:30 am live stream here
now US v. #GhislaineMaxwell day of closing arguments begins, after AUSA Maurene Comey Sunday afternoon said public and press should not see the slides in real time.
Judge Nathan asks if the exhibits that have been withheld throughout the trial have at least been put in the public docket this morning. No - only on DOJ's USAfx password protected site. And no defense exhibits in sight. #CourtroomConfidential
Amid secrecy, lunch time for jurors is being discussed. Judge Nathan: The government will go straight through "then an early lunch." The defense, then rebuttal, charge and deliberations possibly beginning today. A comfort break somewhere in there.
Judge Nathan: Stay a few minutes away, so Ms. Williams can reach you, if the jury has notes or a verdict. Note: Inner City Press' immediately filing opposition to withholding of slides and all defense exhibit still not docketed.
Judge Nathan: Anything else? The box is turned. [That is, the speaker's box, so that the public can't see. Note: no problem without confidentiality / privacy of victims / survivors. But they are withholding ALL slides and demonstratives, and all defense exhibits
And note: SDNY Judge Rakoff, when Inner City Press requested in US v. Weigand (Eaze / Wirecard case), ordered that all exhibits, US and defense, be put on a public website, not just USAfx. Inner City Press asked Judge Nathan to follow the precedent here: UNdocketed
While awaiting entry of jury & US argument, noting that yesterday after Inner City Press wrote to Judge Nathan, AUSA Comey and 2 on defense, suddenly exhibits from much earlier in the case were put onto USAfx, redacted, including Virginia Roberts' school records
There are also Epstein Victims Compensation Fund general releases, one for Annie Farmer and another with name redacted. And a long video Inner City Press is still belatedly downloading. Hide the ball until the last day, then put it up in redacted form
Jury entering - all rise! [Ghislaine Maxwell is in a beige sweater today, at defense table with Bobbi Sternheim. In front row of gallery, Kevin Maxwell and, yes, Leah Saffian
Judge Nathan: We'll break early for lunch, then we'll come back and hear Ms. Menninger. Then another break. Rebuttal by the government & instructions from me. Ms Moe? AUSA Moe: Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous. She targeted a girl whose father had just died [Jane]
AUSA Moe: Maxwell ran the same playbook again and again. She groomed them. She caused deep and lasting harm to young girls. It is time to hold her accountable. [Maxwell flipping through papers, flipping hair]. AUSA Moe: You've heard from law enforcement officers
AUSA Moe: You've seen documents: phone messages, and a little black book with victims' names. This summation is our opportunity to explain who all this evidence fits together. Maxwell is guilty. Today I'm going to talk to you about 8 different reasons she's guilty
AUSA Moe: First, Maxwell and Epstein were partners. They were in a romantic relationship. Maxwell wrote this document. [Not show to public or press.]
AUSA Moe (reading from slide not shown to press or public) "A couple for 11 years... great partners... rarely apart... best of friends." Does that sound like a personal assistant? No.
AUSA Moe: When you're with someone for 11 years you know what they like. Epstein liked young girls. Epstein could not have done this alone. A single middle aged man inviting a girl to a ranch is creepy. That set of "alarm balls."
AUSA Moe: Maxwell as key - you saw photos how close they were. Let's look at those. [Not shown to press or public]
AUSA Moe: You are looking at Maxwell and Epstein swimming naked in a pool. [Not shown during closing - and otherwise redacted or withheld] Here she is massaging Epstein's feet with her breasts.
AUSA Moe: Let's talk about the charges, six counts. [Note: CourtListener still does not have the jury charge, which was only docketed on PACER this morning]
[Note - even now during the closing argument, with all slides and demonstrative withheld, searching in PACER for the jury charge, doesn't seem it's there, just a six page cover letter. #Fail
OK - Inner City Press has dug to get the jury charge, and puts it (in case as some complained DocumentCloud doesn't work) on Patreon here and here it is on DocumentCloud
AUSA Moe: Beyond the law, and venue, let me respond to what the defense has said. In their opening, Maxwell's counsel said Maxwell is being blamed for something a man did. But she made her own choices.
AUSA Moe: This case is about manipulating young girls. And the case was about money. Carolyn got a few hundred dollars, Maxwell got $30 million.
AUSA Moe: This trial was also about memory - you heard about trauma. They argue Maxwell was too busy to commit these crimes. But Maxwell had personal assistants, and a woman to walk her dog. She ordered sand to be delivered to Epstein's private island.
AUSA Moe: Their expert Elizabeth Loftus tried to convince people they say Bugs Bunny at Disney World. She admits she is an advocate for the defense. She's made a lot of money.[Does not mention Harvey Weinstein, or Robert Durst, etc]
AUSA Moe: The payments under the Epstein victims compensation fund are done, the witnesses have no financial stake in the outcome of this trial. They are corroborated, by Juan Alessi, Mulligan, and the witnesses called Matt and Shawn
AUSA Moe: There is only one conclusion, that Maxwell is guilty and you should convict her. Use your common sense. You will reach the only verdict consistent with the evidence: Maxwell in guilty. Judge Nathan: We're going to take a lunch break. [It's 11:16 am]
Judge Nathan: No discussions about the case. Bobbi Sternheim: The massage table coming from California is not enough [for interstate commerce]. We want a limiting instruction.
[Eager to record short podcast - but defense keeps arguing, for mistrial, against invocation of grooming by proxy. And now -]
AUSA: We showed the listings in the list of masseuses of numbers for Mom and Dad. Judge Nathan: I deny the motion for a mistrial.
How large is Maxwell's legal and other team? Watch this site - and #MaximumMaxwell
On October 29 and again on November 12 Maxwell and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a flurry of motions in limine, heavily redacted; the Government argued that trial exhibits are not public and will be withheld. Inner City Press opposed and opposes the continued secrecy. And see DC op-ed here.
On December 16, after a three day hiatus as Judge Nathan went to DC seeking 2d Circuit seat, Maxwell's defense began, with her executive assistant Cimerly Espinosa. Inner City Press live tweeted here, 8:45 am live stream here, podcast here
On the afternoon of December 17, the defense rested, and Ghislaine Maxwell said there was no reason for her to testify because, she said, the government had not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, after Eva Dubin. Inner City Press live tweeted here, podcast here, midday live stream here
On Saturday December 18 Judge Nathan held the charging conference, at which references to "the defendant" were changed to a more Lady-like "Ms. Maxwell" and foreign travel and the word "minor" were dropped and replaced. Inner City Press live tweeted here, and below, pre-conference live stream here, podcast here
On December 10, leading up to the US resting of its case, Annie Farmer was cross examined, then her ex-boyfriend and mother testified. Inner City Press live tweeted it here, podcast here, stand-up, GMax sister - and circus
Again, where is the Press opposition to all this sealing, and the decision-maker?
Inner City Press is covering the trial, and all the comes before and after it; #CourtCaseCast and song I, Song 2, Song 3, fifth song, Nov 27 song Dec 4 song and Dec 11 song (YouTube demonetized it) and Dec 18 song (no ads)
On October 18 the US Attorney's Office opposed the request, saying the the voir dire questions should be asked by Judge Nathan, and that there should only be sidebars on "sensitive questions such as those that relate to sexual abuse and media exposure." Full letter on Patreon here.
In a conference on October 21 on that as scheduling issues, Judge Nathan denied the request to seal. Inner City Press live tweeted it here (podcast here)
On October 22 the draft jury questionnaire was unsealed and Inner City Press has immediately published it on its DocumentCloud here, including "Have you or a family member ever supported, lobbied, petitioned, protested, or worked in any other manner for or against any laws, regulations, or organizations relating to sex trafficking, sex crimes against minors, sex abuse or sexual harassment?" Photo here.
After the death of Jeffrey Epstein in the MCC prison, on July 2 Acting US Attorney for the SDNY Audrey Strauss announced and unsealed in indictment of Maxwell on charges including sex trafficking and perjury.
Inner City Press went to her press conference at the US Attorney's Office and asked, Doesn't charging Maxwell with perjury undercut any ability to use testimony from her against other, bigger wrong-doers? Periscope here at 23:07.
Strauss replied that it is not impossible to use a perjurer's testimony. But how often does it work?
At 3:30 pm on July 2 Maxwell appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampsire, before Magistriate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone. Inner City Press live tweeted it here.
(Also live tweeted bail denial of July 14, here.)
In the July 3 media coverage of Maxwell, media all of the world used a video and stills from it of Maxwell speaking in front of a blue curtain, like here.
What they did not mention is something Inner City Press has been asking the UN about, as under UNSG Antonio Guterres with his own sexual exploitation issues (exclusive video and audio) it got roughed up and banned from the UN: Ghislaine Maxwell had a ghoulish United Nations press conference, under the banner of the "Terramar Project," here.
On July 5, after some crowd-sourcing, Inner City Press reported on another Ghislaine Maxwell use of the United Nations, facilitated by Italy's Permanent Representative to the UN, UN official Nikhil Seth and Amir Dossal, who also let into the UN and in one case took money from convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng, and Patrick Ho of CEFC China Energy, also linked to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
At the Ghislaine Maxwell UN event, the UN Deputy Secretary General was directly involved.
List of (some of) the participants on Patreon here.
Inner City Press has published a phone of Maxwell in the UN with Dossal, here. But the connection runs deeper: Dossal with "25 years of UN involvement" was on Terrarmar's board of directors, one of only five directors, only three not related to Maxwell by blood and name.
The directors: Ghislaine Maxwell, Christine Malina-Maxwell, Steven Haft, Christine Dennison and... Amir Dossal. Inner City Press is publishing this full 990 on Patreon here.
Dossal has operated through the UN Office of Partnership, with Antonio Guterres and his deputy Amina J. Mohammed, here.
And the links to the world of UN bribery, including Antonio Guterres through the Gulbenkian Foundation, runs deeper. More to follow.
Antonio Guterres claims he has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, but covers it up and even participate in it. He should be forced to resign - and/or have immunity waived.
Terramar has been dissolved, even though Maxwell's former fundraiser / director of development Brian Yurasits still lists the URL on his (protected) Twitter profile, also here.
But now Inner City Press has begun to inquire into Ghislaine Maxwell's other United Nations connections, starting with this photograph of another day's (or at least another outfit's) presentation in the UN, here. While co-conspirator Antonio Guterres has had Inner City Press banned from any entry into the UN for two years and a day, this appears to be in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) chamber. We'll have more on this, and on Epstein and the UN. Watch this site.
The case is US v. Maxwell, 20-cr-330 (Nathan).
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