Ghislaine Maxwell's life could be in danger in prison after revealing new details, reporter warns

Ghislaine Maxwell's life may be in jeopardy behind bars after she allegedly shared new information about Jeffrey Epstein with the U.S. Department of Justice, according to one of the top reporters covering the scandal.            

Julie K. Brown, the Miami Herald journalist whose 2018 reporting helped bring Epstein and Maxwell back into the spotlight, said the 63-year-old British socialite is not safe inside the Federal Correctional Institute in Tallahassee, Florida.

In a podcast, she said: 'It is so easy to cover up a crime in jail. The cameras are broken, guards fall asleep - they are, for the most part, very corrupt.'

Brown added that Maxwell's recent decision to cooperate with federal investigators had put a target on her back and claimed that she 'wouldn't necessarily be safe anywhere.'

Concerns over her safety have loomed long before she agreed to speak with the DOJ, which now includes former Trump lawyer Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General. 

Her lawyer, David Markus, previously described the intense surveillance his client faced in custody following her 2020 arrest.

The scrutiny was widely believed to be an attempt to avoid a repeat of Epstein's death in August 2019, when he was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in Manhattan.

A top investigative journalist who was instrumental in bringing Epstein and Maxwell's names back in the spotlight says her life may be in danger in prison 

Concerns for Maxwell's safety in the Florida prison has lingered long before she agreed to speak to authorities 

The surveillance footage, which officials said would provide 'full raw' coverage, was missing three crucial minutes. 

The DOJ also acknowledged multiple protocol failures, including Epstein being left unattended and guards neglecting their rounds.

Speaking on the Daily Beast podcast, Brown told host Joanna Coles: 'Look at Epstein. He was probably one of the most high-profile prisoners that we've ever had, and he still was managed to be found dead. Anything's possible.'

A November 2023 report by the Justice Department's Inspector General raised fresh concerns about conditions inside the Tallahassee prison, where Maxwell is serving her 20-year sentence. 

The review found 'weaknesses with inmate search procedures and limited security camera coverage.'

Two inmates died at the facility last year - one at the federal prison, and another at the adjacent detention centre, with no cause of death released. 

Maxwell has also reportedly been threatened behind bars. A Daily Mail report says that two inmates discovered she had received extra food from a kitchen worker to help her maintain a vegan diet. 

They allegedly threatened her unless she gave them her entire $360 monthly commissary allowance.

Maxwell is said to have been threatened by two inmates and became paranoid as a result 

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell - while it has been ruled as a suicide, questions still persist

Maxwell allegedly reported the pair, and they were placed in solitary confinement for nearly 50 days. Upon their release, Maxwell is said to have become so paranoid about retaliation that she stopped using the showers.

Brown also said in the podcast that Maxwell could also face pressure to clear Donald Trump's name if she wants to secure a reduced sentence or early release.

She said: 'My guess is they're going to try to find something, because this story isn't going away for Trump.

'So my guess is they're going to try to figure out some way to have her make a public statement of some sort that Trump wasn't involved.'

In a petition filed with the Supreme Court on Monday, her legal team argued that she should have been shielded from prosecution under Epstein's controversial 2007 plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Florida. 

The deal stipulated that several unnamed co-conspirators would not be prosecuted.

Trump, for his part, told reporters Monday that he has not ruled out granting Maxwell a pardon, saying: Right now, it would be inappropriate to talk about it.'

Maxwell is currently appealing her 2021 conviction for grooming minors for Epstein's abuse

Brown also said in the podcast that Maxwell could also face pressure to clear Donald Trump's name