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Ghislaine Maxwell won't fight to keep names of 8 'John Does' secret any more, lawyer says
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Ghislaine Maxwell won't fight to keep names of 8 'John Does' secret any more, lawyer says

Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has ended her fight to protect the identities of eight "John Does" named in a civil lawsuit filed by accuser Virginia Giuffre, according to court documents filed last week.

The "John Does" — who were allegedly participants in Maxwell's and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking schemes — are now at the mercy of a New York judge as to whether their identities remain hidden from the public.

"Counsel for Ghislaine Maxwell writes to inform the Court that she does not wish to further address those objections," Maxwell's attorney, Laura Menninger, said in a letter to Judge Loretta Preska dated Jan. 12.

The eight "John Does" are designated by number in the letter as "Non-Parties 17, 53, 54, 55, 56, 73, 93, and 151."

Menninger noted that "each of the listed Does has counsel who have ably asserted their own respective privacy rights" and added that her client "therefore leaves it to this Court to conduct the appropriate review consistent with the Order and Protocol for Unsealing Decided Motions."

Insider reported that the lawsuit in question was settled in 2017. But Giuffre for years has fought to have the material unsealed to expose individuals who were allegedly involved with Maxwell and Epstein.

"The 'John Does' all appear to be people who have stepped into the litigation over the years and asserted privacy rights for parts of the sealed material," Insider noted.

The outlet was careful to add that just because Maxwell is no longer opposing the unsealing does not necessarily mean that all names will be released. But Maxwell's decision to stop fighting to keep their names secret certainly helps clear the way.

Maxwell, 60, a British socialite and longtime companion of Epstein, was found guilty last month on several sex trafficking-related charges — including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of an individual under 18 years old.

Following the guilty verdict, an attorney for Giuffre named Sigrid McCawley inquired as to whether Maxwell would still seek to keep the "John Does" secret.

"Now that Maxwell’s criminal trial has come and gone, there is little reason to retain protection over the vast swaths of information about Epstein and Maxwell’s sex-trafficking operation that were originally filed under seal in this case," McCawley wrote.

Giuffrie, now 38, has long accused Maxwell and Epstein of coercing her into having sex with their high-profile associates, including Prince Andrew, Duke of York. In August 2021, Giuffrie sued Prince Andrew for taking advantage of her sexually on several occasions between 1999 and 2002.

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