New Charges Could Be Coming in Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell Investigation, Prosecutors Hint

More criminal charges could be on the way in the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell sex abuse case, as federal prosecutors recommended Friday a federal grand jury investigation into the late financier and his accused co-conspirator in the sexual abuse of underage girls remain active, according to a court filing obtained by Bloomberg.

"As the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has stated publicly, the investigation into the conduct of the defendant in this case and other possible co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein remains active," prosecutors wrote in a court filing. "The full scope and details of that investigation, however, have not been made public."

The filing also made reference to prosecutors obtaining Maxwell's 2016 deposition in a defamation lawsuit that her lawyers are attempting to keep from being released publicly. It was that deposition that led to the former socialite being charged with perjury. She is currently charged with recruiting underage girls for Epstein for sexual purposes and lying about it under oath, as well as abusing minors herself. Earlier this month, The Miami Herald reported her lawyers claimed to have received "critical new information" from the criminal case against Epstein while fighting to block the release of that deposition, saying it could harm their ongoing investigation.

"It would be grossly inappropriate for defense counsel to be permitted to sift through the criminal case discovery and cherry-pick materials they may believe could provide some advantage in their efforts to defend against accusations of abuse by victim plaintiffs, delay court-ordered disclosure of previously sealed materials, or any other legal effort the defendant may be undertaking at any particular time," the prosecutors wrote at the time.

The Herald continued that Maxwell's lawyers suggested that attorneys for Virginia Giuffre, one of the alleged victims of Epstein and Maxwell, provided the deposition to prosecutors, violating a protective order in the civil case. "That is how grand jury subpoenas and investigations frequently work," prosecutors wrote. "Defense counsel's overheated rhetoric notwithstanding, there is simply nothing nefarious about the government obtaining materials through grand jury subpoena process, let alone anything about the manner in which the government obtained these materials that warrant the relief requested."

Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Maxwell that was settled in 2017, accusing Epstein and her of sexually abusing her, forcing her to have sex with Prince Andrew and other famous friends. Despite the suit being settled, the two have fought over whether the unsealed files should be made public.