Was The Maxwell Epstein Case Behind Barr's Oust Of Berman?
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On Thursday, ousted Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman told the House Judiciary Committee that A.G. William Barr repeatedly pressured him to resign last month. Berman appeared before the House in a closed-door session. A written account published by CNN describes alarming details of the pressure put on Berman by Barr to resign.
Berman stated, “The Attorney General said that if I did not resign from my position I would be fired. He added that getting fired from my job would not be good for my resume or future job prospects.”
Berman continued, “I told him that while I did not want to get fired, I would not resign.” He further stated that Barr’s effort to replace him "would have been unprecedented, unnecessary and unexplained."
With the recent arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell and the prosecution of several of Trump’s allies, serious questions have been raised about Barr’s sudden move to remove Berman.
Was Barr Trying To Get Control Of The Maxwell Case?
Did Barr oust Berman so he could gain control of the Maxwell case on Trump’s behalf. It has been speculated that there may be specific developments in the Maxwell case that alarmed Trump and this forced Barr into a hasty action against Berman.
Barr Caught Lying About Berman Resignation
After being caught lying about Berman’s resignation, Barr immediately fired Berman. Barr then attempted to install Craig Carpenito.
Carpenito was an unusual choice as he wasn’t Berman’s Deputy. Moreover, he had no prosecutorial experience.
Berman thwarted Barr’s attempt to install his handpicked stooge. Barr was ultimately forced to agreed to Berman’s choice: Berman’s deputy, Audrey Strauss.
Ghislaine Maxwell Was Arrested Just After Berman’s Removal
Last Thursday, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the New York Police Department and the FBI in Bradford, New Hampshire. Maxwell is an alleged accomplice of convicted level III sex offender Jeffery Epstein. She is accused of recruiting, grooming and abusing underage girls. Maxwell is charged with six felonies.
Epstein died in August 10, 2019 while in custody leaving more questions than answers about his connections to wealthy men including Donald J. Trump and Prince Andrew.
Trump’s ties to Maxwell and her late father, the British publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, go back to the late 1980s. It is unknown if Maxwell was the person who introduced Trump to Epstein.
Trump and Epstein at Mar-a-Lago
Even though Trump has repeatedly denied being friends with Epstein, Epstein spent time at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, FL. In fact, Epstein’s Palm Beach home was less 5 minutes away from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Maxwell also reportedly spent time at Mar-a-Lago over a ten year period. It is unclear if she was a member.
Even more disturbing, Virginia Roberts Giuffre says that Maxwell recruited her into Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring when she was only 15-years-old from Mar-a-Lago. Giuffre states that she was recruited in 1999 while employed by Mar-a-Lago.
There is also speculation that Berman was removed from SDNY because was conducting investigations into Michael Cohen and Rudy Giuliani. However, most people believe this move was driven by the imminent arrest of Maxwell.
@BillKristol Tweeted, “Berman’s testimony under oath is pretty dramatic. Zero chance Barr would have moved so hastily (and foolishly) unless under direct and repeated pressure from Trump. So why did Trump feel such urgency to get rid of Berman and try to bring in a political loyalist from outside SDNY?”
@kyledcheney Tweeted, “JUST IN: Nadler suggests BARR is perilously close to criminal bribery in his handling of BERMAN matter. "What we don't know yet is if the attorney general's conduct is criminal. But that kind of quid pro quo is awfully close to bribery."
Barr’s move to oust Berman doesn’t appear to be an organized plan. It appears clunky and rushed.
Maxwell is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. The Daily Mail is reporting that documents state a gagging clause is being drawn up to protect “the privacy and identity of third parties.” Most are assuming these third parties include Trump and Prince Andrew, among others.