Ghislaine Maxwell is said to have been formally questioned about Prince Andrew for the first time during a marathon nine-hour meeting with the US Deputy Attorney General.
The 63-year-old was interviewed about her former friend the Duke of York as he came up in a ‘laundry list’ of more than 100 people linked to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, answered all of the questions ‘honestly and truthfully’, according to a source.
Epstein’s former girlfriend is not thought to have previously been formally questioned about Prince Andrew.
It is not known what answers she gave, although it’s reported ‘she wants the truth to come out.’
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A source said: ‘This is the first time anyone has asked Ghislaine about any of the men.
‘She told the truth and didn’t back away from any questions.
‘She wants the truth to come out.’
The Duke has always strenuously denied allegations by Virginia Giuffre that he sexually abused her when she was aged just 17 and while she was the victim of billionaire Epstein’s sex trafficking ring.
The senior royal paid a multi-million sum to Ms Giuffre in an out-of-court settlement, with no admission of wrongdoing.
She died by suicide earlier this year.
Maxwell has continued to be at the centre of the Epstein scandal as she serves 20 years at Tallahassee Federal Prison in Florida for her part in the sex trafficking ring.
The two-day meeting with the US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche took place this week on the orders of Donald Trump, who is currently on a private visit to his golf courses in Scotland.
The US president has been engulfed in the saga by promising to release the full Epstein Files before failing to do so.
The questioning of Maxwell is part of the Justice Department’s effort to dispel backlash over the Trump administration’s handling of the files.
A source told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Ghislaine has never told her story to anyone in government before. At times it was very emotional but she answered every question asked of her.
‘The limited immunity deal is a huge risk for her because this case is so politicised she only has immunity so long as she hasn’t lied.
‘She answered everything truthfully but she is taking a risk.
‘She was asked about a laundry list of people including Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Les Wexner, Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz, Leon Black and a who’s who of powerful Wall Street moneymen and financiers.
‘There were Silicon Valley names in there along with world leaders, other non-British royals aside from Andrew and famous names from the world of showbusiness.
‘It’s ironic that Elon Musk kicked this whole thing off when he fell out with Trump and then made that post on X about Trump allegedly preventing the release of the full Epstein documents as some sort of “cover-up”.
‘Well, Elon is in there, as is his brother.
‘It was a monumental moment for Ghislaine to finally be asked about these people and to tell the truth.’
Maxwell is due to have a new plea for an appeal before the US Supreme Court submitted tomorrow. She has been called to testify before a Congressional Committee on August 11.
The source said: ‘Of course she wants a pardon, what prisoner doesn’t?
‘But that isn’t something which has been discussed.
‘The president could commute her sentence in return for her cooperation. No one knows what will happen now. Todd Blanche will sit down with president Trump when he returns from Scotland and that is when the discussions about any potential deal will take place.’
Prince Andrew reached the settlement with Ms Giuffre in February 2022, with the agreement being made on a without liability status — meaning it does not amount to an admission of guilt.
At the time, Andrew pledged to ‘demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein’ by supporting the ‘fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims’.
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