Ghislaine Maxwell's brother, Ian Maxwell, released a statement demanding for video footage from the "house of horrors" jail to be checked for any evidence that might reveal how she was injured.
A federal judge directed the government to clarify why guards at the New York prison are reportedly constantly shining light into Ghislaine Maxwell's jail cell during the nighttime hours, causing a bruise under one eye, as seen in a recently released photo, according to lawyers.
Prison guards ask to explain Ghislaine Maxwell's injury
U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan issued the order after Maxwell's lawyers filed a court filing on Thursday that included a snapshot of Maxwell in jail with visible bruises under her left eye. In a letter to the court, defense counsel Bobbi C. Sternheim claims that Maxwell may not have a mirror and was unaware of the bruises until she caught a reflection of her aching eye in a nail clipper.
Ghislaine Maxwell pictured for the first time behind bars — with a bruise https://t.co/8sb6nYBqMM pic.twitter.com/GQrvMbCO6U
— New York Post (@nypost) April 29, 2021
Ian Maxwell expressed his shock that his sister's guards did not promptly recommend her for proper medical treatment, Fox News reported. Maxwell's lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, stated on the court papers on Thursday that the 59-year-old Maxwell may have gotten the bruise when trying to protect her eyes from the glare the guards use to make sure she is breathing every 15 minutes.
Ghislaine Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to accusations of sex trafficking, alleging that from 1994 to 2004, she recruited underage girls for ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein to abuse sexually. In August 2019, Epstein, a financier, committed suicide in a federal Manhattan jail while awaiting a sex trafficking trial.
Maxwell's lawyer told a three-judge jury of the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this week that her client is being handled as a suicidal risk when she is not. Two judges shared fear that the light flashed in Maxwell's cell might be disrupting her sleep during the night. Maxwell's representative told the Second Circuit that she had to cover her eyes with a towel or socks because she was not given a mask.
According to Judge Nathan's order, federal attorneys must meet with prison authorities and report directly to the court by next week. The judge has since asked prison authorities to include more details about an alleged incident over the weekend. Maxwell said guards intercepted and examined her private legal papers to the court and Maxwell's lawyers.
Maxwell allegedly violated rules by accepting paperwork from her attorneys after an in-person visit on Saturday, said the facility's legal counsel. The claims made by prison officials are inaccurate, said Maxwell's attorneys.
"It is a reckless, false, and defamatory accusation. Maxwell was never given any paperwork for her retention by lawyers who did not come from her," Sternheim wrote in a court filing. The legal team for Ghislaine Maxwell has threatened legal action and sent a letter to the facility's counsel requesting that all video footage and notes from the Saturday visit be saved.
On Wednesday, the BOP admitted in a letter to the court that it received papers from Maxwell but did not say if the documents were read or copied. During a visit on Sunday, the papers were returned to another of Maxwell's attorneys, as per ABC News.
Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?
Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, was born in December 1961. According to The Sun newspaper, she was a wealthy British socialite who studied at Oxford University before moving to New York. Her high-profile party-planning job gained her the nickname "Goodtimes Ghislaine." She is said to have begun dating then-financier Jeffrey Epstein since then.
Maxwell, a wealthy and well-connected member of the upper class, has socialized with Prince Andrew and the Clintons and Donald and Melania Trump. Virginia Roberts filed a legal complaint in Florida in 2015 accusing Maxwell of soliciting minors for sexual abuse by Epstein and his wealthy associates. Maxwell is set to stand trial in July on charges of sex trafficking and perjury, Newsweek via MSN reported.
