The Trump administration’s aggressive push to expose long-concealed details of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal hit roadblocks this week—even as convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell sat for high-level meetings with top Justice Department officials in Tallahassee, Florida.

Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking minors, met Thursday with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as part of what sources describe as an ongoing effort to finally bring sunlight to Epstein’s powerful network of associates. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, confirmed that she “answered every single question,” adding: “She never stopped, she never invoked a privilege… she answered all the questions truthfully, honestly, and to the best of her ability.”

Blanche later confirmed on social media that he would be continuing the interviews Friday and that the DOJ “will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time.”

While the Justice Department has not revealed the substance of the discussions, the high-profile meeting comes at a time of mounting pressure on the Trump administration to deliver on its pledge of full transparency surrounding Epstein’s decades-long operation, which many Americans believe involved powerful political, financial, and media elites.

Blanche, who previously served as a criminal defense attorney for President Donald J. Trump, now finds himself at the center of what looks less like a law enforcement exercise and more like a political firestorm. The DOJ is still reeling from public outrage following a decision by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel not to release the so-called “client list” or other Epstein-related documents earlier this month.

That decision drew heavy criticism from within Trump’s base, which has consistently demanded full disclosure — especially after years of cover-ups and sweetheart deals for Epstein during the Obama and Bush administrations. In a surprise rebuke on Wednesday, the House Oversight subcommittee voted to subpoena the DOJ for all unreleased Epstein files, including communications between Biden-era officials and the Justice Department. The subpoena directly challenges Bondi and Patel’s rationale for withholding information, which they claimed was meant to protect victims and witnesses.

Meanwhile, media outlets have been quick to recycle old, unsubstantiated claims in an apparent attempt to muddy the waters. A recent Wall Street Journal article resurfaced a “racy birthday poem” allegedly signed by Trump in a book compiled by Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday. While Democrats and legacy media figures have tried to weaponize this as evidence of deeper involvement, the reality remains unchanged: President Trump expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago decades ago after learning of his predatory behavior and had no further ties to him.

“The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung reiterated this week.

Despite President Trump’s explicit orders to release all relevant Epstein records, the administration has run into judicial stonewalling. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in Florida rejected a DOJ request to unseal grand jury transcripts from 2005 and 2007. “The Court’s hands are tied—a point the Government concedes,” Rosenberg wrote, blaming restrictive Eleventh Circuit precedent.

In a parallel proceeding, Judge Paul Engelmayer denied a similar request from Maxwell’s legal team, who sought access to the transcripts in order to respond to ongoing judicial reviews regarding public release. While Engelmayer blocked Maxwell’s team from accessing the materials, he did order that the government submit the transcripts to the court by July 28 for internal review.

“If any portion… would benefit from Maxwell’s input, the court will share that portion with her team,” the judge said, signaling a potential future release — albeit partial — depending on judicial discretion.

The Trump administration has also filed a separate request in Manhattan federal court to unseal records related to Epstein’s 2019 indictment and Maxwell’s own prosecution.

This flurry of legal and political activity underscores the scale of what’s at stake: a decades-long cover-up, powerful political implications, and a public demanding accountability. While the establishment scrambles to shift blame or bury the story, the Trump DOJ appears determined to shine a light — whether the courts want it or not.