Maxwell claims accuser has ‘desire for cash’
Ghislaine Maxwell has launched a ‘‘vicious’’ attack on one of her key accusers, claiming she fabricated allegations about Maxwell’s involvement in child sex abuse because of a ‘‘desire for cash’’.
Lawyers for the British socialite have sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Annie Farmer after it emerged she could receive ‘‘millions of dollars’’ from a compensation fund for victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the American paedophile financier and former boyfriend of Maxwell.
Farmer, who claims she was abused by the couple when she was 16, is one of three women preparing to testify against Maxwell this summer in her criminal trial on charges of child sex trafficking and perjury. Maxwell denies all the charges. She faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted.
Farmer also intervened recently in the Briton’s failed attempt to seek bail by providing US prosecutors with a written statement in which she described Maxwell as ‘‘a psychopath’’ who would flee the country if released.
Farmer’s lawyers claim Maxwell, 59, is blocking any possible compensation ‘‘in retaliation’’ for helping to keep her behind bars.
The row has surfaced in court papers in a civil lawsuit for damages that Farmer has brought against Maxwell and the estate of Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for child sex offences.
The court filings reveal that Farmer, 41, a psychologist, agreed in October to an offer of payment from the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Programme.
It has received more than 100 claims from Epstein’s alleged victims and has reportedly paid out more than $30 million (NZ$45.6m).
To receive her payment, Farmer is required to drop her civil claim for damages against the estate. However, Maxwell – a joint defendant in that case with Epstein’s executors – is refusing to have the action thrown out of court in New York and is instead demanding to know how much money Farmer will receive, despite the fact the sum is meant to remain confidential. – The Times