CNN Panelist Says Ghislaine Maxwell Lawyer Just ‘Admitted’ Secret Trump Deal Live on TV

An attorney representing convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell suggested on CNN that defendants who meet with government officials typically expect something in return, sparking controversy over her recent transfer to a lower-security prison.

Appearing on CNN NewsNight Monday, defense attorney Arthur Aidala told host Abby Phillip that he did not know the specific details of Maxwell’s move from a low-security Florida facility to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas. The transfer followed a July meeting between Maxwell and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Pressed on why Maxwell was relocated to what Phillip described as a “cushier prison,” Aidala responded with a broader observation about the justice system.

“When anybody who’s represented by a lawyer who knows what they’re doing goes in and meets with the government, there’s always a quid pro quo,” Aidala said. “You don’t just take your client in and say, ‘Let me talk to you about something.’ If the government wants information from a citizen, the citizen says, ‘Well, I have a right to remain silent. If you want me to give up that right, I need something in return.’”

Aidala said such exchanges often result in plea deals before he was interrupted by panelist Neera Tanden, a former Biden adviser, who pointed out that his statement implied a quid pro quo involving the Trump administration. Aidala pushed back, insisting, “That’s how the whole system works.”

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for helping financier Jeffrey Epstein recruit and exploit underage girls. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In its 2022 sentencing memo, the Justice Department under President Joe Biden described Maxwell as unremorseful and unreliable, writing that she selectively disclosed facts when it served her interests and noting that she had also personally participated in abuse.

Despite those concerns, Justice Department officials questioned Maxwell for nine hours this summer as political pressure mounted for new disclosures in the Epstein case. During the interview, she reportedly told Blanche—who previously served as Trump’s criminal defense attorney—that she had never seen Trump behave inappropriately. Shortly afterward, she was moved to Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a minimum-security facility in Texas.

The transfer raised questions because the Federal Bureau of Prisons typically requires sex offenders to remain at least in low-security institutions. The Texas facility offers dorm-style housing, a study room, recreational classes, technical programs, and video call privileges. NBC News reported that her relocation required the bureau to waive its own rules.

After his CNN appearance drew attention, Aidala clarified to The Daily Beast that he had not claimed a quid pro quo occurred in Maxwell’s case, only that such negotiations are common in the U.S. legal system. “She’s not a lawyer and doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” he said of Tanden, despite her Yale Law degree.

Aidala also stressed that he had intentionally avoided discussing Maxwell’s meeting with Blanche, either with his client or with her attorney at the time, David O. Markus, because he wanted to remain focused on her appeals. “Sometimes knowledge is power, and sometimes ignorance is bliss,” he said.

Markus, in a separate statement to The Daily Beast, confirmed that Aidala had no role in the DOJ interview. “There was absolutely no quid pro quo, and any suggestion otherwise is off the wall,” Markus said.

On CNN, Phillip pressed Aidala on whether any deal—such as a prison transfer—would have been offered before or after Maxwell’s testimony. Aidala said he could not answer that directly since he was not present but explained how such negotiations typically unfold.

“Before I go in and meet a prosecutor with my client, I say, ‘Fine, she’ll come in and tell you Van also was involved,’” Aidala said, gesturing toward fellow panelist Van Jones as part of his example. “‘But before she points the finger at Van, I want some assurance from you that she’s going to get a benefit.’”