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Bryan, Texas – Employees at the minimum-security federal prison camp where convicted child-sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is serving her sentence have been terminated, according to one of Maxwell’s legal representatives. This development follows a whistleblower’s release of alleged correspondence between Maxwell and her attorney to Representative Jamie Raskin (Dem., Maryland).
Leah Saffian, a California-based attorney who has long represented Maxwell, issued a statement decrying the incident. Saffian described the release of what she claims are “privileged client-attorney email correspondence” to the media via Congressman Raskin as “improper” and “a denial of justice.”
Saffian confirmed that personnel at the federal facility faced “appropriate consequences.” She stated, “They have been terminated for improper, unauthorized access to the email system used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to allow inmates to communicate with the outside world.”
Requests for comment from the Bryan prison, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the Justice Department have been made by news outlets.
Earlier this week, Rep. Raskin, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, shared information reportedly received from a whistleblower regarding Maxwell’s conditions within the Bryan prison. This information included allegations of “special privileges” being afforded to Jeffrey Epstein’s former associate. The whistleblower also indicated that Maxwell, sentenced to 20 years, was in the process of preparing an application for commutation. An email, allegedly shared with the committee by the whistleblower, showed Maxwell communicating with Saffian in early October about plans to send materials “through the warden.”
However, House Judiciary Committee Democrats have defended their handling and release of the information, disputing the claim that the correspondence was privileged. A spokesperson for the House Judiciary Democratic Committee asserted that “None of the documents shared with the Committee from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) TRULINCS system was subject to the attorney client privilege.”
The spokesperson highlighted that individuals using the prison’s communication systems must agree to a disclaimer explicitly stating that their activity will be monitored. This disclaimer, they noted, clarifies that the Department of Justice (DOJ) may monitor the system and that users consent to such oversight, thus having no expectation of privacy for their communications.
Specifically addressing attorney-client privilege, the Judiciary spokeswoman pointed out that the disclaimer includes language to the effect of: “I understand and consent that this provision applies to electronic messages both to and from my attorney or other legal representative, and that such electronic messages will not be treated as privileged communications, and that I have alternative methods of conducting privileged legal communication.”
Rep. Raskin has maintained the standard practice of not describing the whistleblower, a measure typically taken to safeguard their identity. The Democratic spokeswoman further stated that the committee “won’t comment on any information that could identify whistleblowers, including whistleblowers’ employment status” and condemned “any effort by BOP to intimidate, silence, or retaliate against anyone” who provided information.
In her Friday statement, Saffian also countered specific claims, writing: “Contrary to Rep. Raskin’s assertion, Ms. Maxwell has not requested a commutation — or made a Pardon — application to the second Trump Administration. Prior to any such application a Prisoner needs to demonstrate that all possible avenues of appeal have been exhausted.” It’s important to note that Raskin’s initial statement indicated Maxwell was “in the process of working on” a commutation application, not that she had already formally requested one.