US House staff visit Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison after claims of laptop and puppy

Ghislaine Maxwell in 2013. Photograph: Rick Bajornas/AP View image in fullscreen Ghislaine Maxwell in 2013. Photograph: Rick Bajornas/AP US House staff visit Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison after claims of laptop and puppy Epstein associate’s lawyer rejected preferential treatment claims in January, saying ‘humane treatment isn’t special’ Staff from the House oversight and judiciary committees visited the Texas prison where Ghislaine Maxwell , the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein , is serving her sentence, according to Democratic lawmakers. In a statement , the Democratic representatives Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin said staff from the committees traveled to the minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas, on Tuesday to seek answers about Maxwell’s transfer there, and about allegations that she has received preferential treatment at the prison camp. According to the Democratic lawmakers, prison staff provided the committee staff with “an extensive tour of the grounds and programming of the facility”. However, the lawmakers claimed that the “Bureau of Prisons leadership repeatedly shut down our lines of questioning or could not provide basic information about our central concerns, including Ms Maxwell’s extraordinary treatment, allegations of sexual assault at the facility and retaliation against inmates who tried to blow the whistle. ‘It’s torture’: prisoners’ letters expose subterranean Oklahoma ‘dungeon’ known as the tombs Read more “We also have serious concerns about the accuracy and veracity of information received by our investigative staff,” the lawmakers said, adding that their investigation would continue. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said that it “facilitated an extensive and transparent visit of the facility for Congressional staffers from two committees and both sides of the aisle”. “Each of the topics mentioned were addressed to the extent possible” they added. “BOP staff cannot provide statements about ongoing investigations, personnel actions or litigation, nor would they know the details of any active or potential investigations conducted by external or independent parties. “The BOP went to great lengths to accommodate this visit and spent hours responding to questions from Congressional staff,” they continued. “We acknowledge the importance of transparency and respect the role of elected officials overseeing government operations,” the statement concluded. “We remain committed to working with our Congressional partners.” Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex-trafficking scheme. Last summer, she was transferred from a federal prison in Florida to the minimum-security Bryan prison camp, which houses about 635 female inmates. The move came about a week after Maxwell was interviewed by the then deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, about the Epstein case. The interview occurred amid mounting political and public pressure on the Trump administ