OPINION
Legal Experts Muse About Barr Attempt to Fire SDNY Prosecutor and Prosecution of Epstein’s Alleged Procurer and Trafficker

The FBI arrested Ghislaine Maxwell in New Hampshire Thursday morning. The prosecutors are from SDNY, the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s office. That’s the same office for which Attorney General Bill Barr claimed U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Berman two weeks ago was “stepping down.” He then tried to fire Berman until Berman ultimately resigned once he was certain his deputy, Audrey Strauss, would be named his successor, and after Barr claimed President Trump had fired him.
That was less than two weeks ago.
Now some legal experts are hinting or musing about Barr’s sudden and ham-handed out-of-the-blue attempt bury Berman and today’s arrest of alleged procurer and sex trafficker for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell. Allegedly, some say, Donald Trump has a lot to fear if Maxwell talks.
Others may also have a lot to fear, as LA Times Legal Affairs Columnist Harry Litman, a former U.S. Attorney notes:
Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss files charges against Epstein enabler Ghislaine Maxwell. Lots and lots of social elite have to be terrified: if she opts to cooperate, her little black book could inculpate a who’s who of bigwig assailants.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) July 2, 2020
But first, here’s the now acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, speaking about today’s arrest and indictment of Ghislaine Maxwell.
SDNY officials announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell.https://t.co/V0F6LFYfvr
“Maxwell played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims for abuse,” they allege. “In some cases, Maxwell participated in the abuse.” pic.twitter.com/VnKSTaHZ2Z
— ABC News (@ABC) July 2, 2020
Here’s what some legal experts are saying right now:
Attorney, Yahoo News contributor, and frequent political commentator Luppe Luppen:
SDNY of course has a lot of investigations at any one time, many of them politically sensitive, most of them somewhat or entirely secret. Berman’s ouster could be related to any investigation or no investigation. The recent moves in the Epstein matter are just unusually public.
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) July 2, 2020
Trump was frequently photographed with Maxwell, as well as Epstein. pic.twitter.com/o9bclSIToG
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) July 2, 2020
CNN Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig:
SDNY just announced the Ghislaine Maxwell case – like the original Epstein case – is staffed by the Public Corruption Unit.
I worked at SDNY and did sex trafficking cases. They do NOT run out of Public Corruption – unless there is some potential angle against a public official.
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) July 2, 2020
NBC News National Security Contributor Frank Figluzzi, a former FBI Assistant Director weighs in on Honig’s tweet:
Two words: Alex Acosta.
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) July 2, 2020
Alex Acosta of course is the former Trump Labor Secretary who was forced to resign in the wake of national outrage over the sweetheart deal he gave to Jeffrey Epstein when he was a prosecutor.
Someone please take Alex Acosta’s passport.
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) July 2, 2020
Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, now an NBC News and MSNBC Legal Analyst:
Interesting that this arrest came right after Bill Barr tried to stack the SDNY deck by firing US Attorney Geoffrey Berman . . . https://t.co/vf77BOMPrG
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) July 2, 2020
Meanwhile, other legal experts are mocking alleged Epstein “pal” Alan Deershowitz:
.@AlanDersh how you holding up?
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) July 2, 2020
Finally, this tweet from May is making its way around Twitter again today:
“Who was the person who introduced Epstein to NYC high society? Bill Barr’s father. Who buried the Epstein case after Acosta left? Bill Barr. There’s a continuum of crime and cover-ups involving Barr, Epstein and Trump going back decades.” — @gaslitnation https://t.co/QCGhPYZ6rW
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) May 13, 2020
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