Donald Trump just took a taxpayer funded golf trip to Scotland, where he shamelessly and illegally promoted his own for-profit golf venture.

If he had hoped to outrun the Jeffrey Epstein story, the Scots weren’t having it — they skewered him mercilessly. In Aberdeenshire, a van “welcoming” Trump showed an image of him smirking next to Epstein. One Scottish satirist quoted Trump saying, as he golfed, “I make the best putts!,” “I invented golf!” and, “I’m the rightful King of Scotland!… Everybody says so!”

Meanwhile back in Tallahassee, Florida, Trump’s criminal defense attorney turned Deputy AG, Todd Blanche, met privately with convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Blanche, who spent two days with Maxwell to craft a new narrative about the Epstein files, was treated to an aerial banner advertising that “Trump and Bondi are protecting predators,” as billboards about the Epstein files went up elsewhere.

Private meeting

In 2021, Maxwell, criminal accomplice to the late Epstein, was afforded the full complement of legal protections during a jury trial that lasted over a month. Maxwell was heard, observed, and considered by a jury of her peers that was selected by her own counsel. Jurors watched and listened to evidence from all sides, where witnesses were presented and cross-examined under oath— or not at all.

Attorneys for several victims were present when Maxwell and other fact witnesses testified at her trial. Attorneys for all sides listened, objected, and clarified when questions were leading or intentionally ambiguous, and immediately cross examined all witnesses — including Maxwell — to get to the truth.

But now, years later, Trump sends his personal criminal defense lawyer to speak to Maxwell alone, outside the presence of opposing counsel, outside the presence of a court reporter, outside the presence of counsel for any victims, outside the presence of any attorney other than Maxwell’s and Trump’s, in pursuit of a new spin about the same crimes to serve Trump’s political interests.

Maxwell’s convictions

At the conclusion of all the evidence, a jury found Maxwell guilty on December 29, 2021, of conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts with Jeffrey Epstein, conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor, all separate offenses.

In June 2022, back when the Public Corruption Unit of the DOJ still endorsed the rule of law, the DOJ posted this public statement:

“From at least 1994, up to and including in or about 2004, GHISLAINE MAXWELL assisted, facilitated, and participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18.

“The victims were as young as 14 years old when they were groomed and abused by MAXWELL and Epstein, both of whom knew that their victims were in fact minors.”

The statement went into specifics, stating that Maxwell personally enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways, and gave these examples:

MAXWELL acclimated victims to Epstein’s conduct simply by being present for victim interactions with Epstein, which put victims at ease by providing the assurance and comfort of an adult woman who seemingly approved of Epstein’s behavior…MAXWELL also normalized and facilitated sexual abuse for a victim by discussing sexual topics, undressing in front of the victim, being present when the victim was undressed, and encouraging the victim to massage Epstein.

Maxwell also participated sexually. She was present during sexual encounters between minor victims and Epstein, and at least one victim described at trial how Maxwell personally fondled her.

Trump wants to supplant the rule of law

Several former federal prosecutors described Blanche’s ‘interview’ as both unorthodox and concerning.

Elizabeth Oyer, former Justice Department pardon attorney and federal public defender told CBS News Maxwell was “somebody who has been sentenced by a court to 20 years in prison, and she is likely also desperate to get out from under that sentence. It’s hard to really believe that the Justice Department would rely on anything that she might have to say.”

Maxwell’s private interview with Trump’s attorney also makes it less likely Maxwell will testify before Congress after she was subpoenaed to do so by the House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committees.

After all, it’s up to Trump’s DOJ to prosecute her if she doesn’t, and why would the DOJ do anything that could unravel or poke holes in Maxwell’s privately curated statement to Blanche?

Blanche’s private after-the-fact interview was another slap in the face to the more than one thousand victims of Epstein/Maxwell’s sexual crimes, including a teenaged Virginia Giuffre who was coerced into intercourse with Epstein while another victim, just 14 years old, watched.

Giuffre was one of the earliest voices pushing for criminal charges against Epstein and Maxwell. Other Epstein victims later credited her with giving them the courage to speak out. Giuffre never got over the assault, and killed herself last April.

The court of public opinion should not let Trump, another convicted felon and adjudicated rapist, substitute his political needs for the rule of law. Maxwell’s jurors, victims, and the rules of evidence, have already spoken.

• Sabrina Haake is a columnist and 25+ year federal trial attorney specializing in 1st and 14th A defense. Her Substack, The Haake Take, is free.