Former Maine U.S. Sen. George Mitchell is among several prominent people named by an alleged sex trafficking victim of Jeffrey Epstein, according to three-year-old court documents unsealed by a federal judge Friday.
Virginia Giuffre claims in depositions from 2016 that she was trafficked by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, directed to have sex with several people, among them including New Mexico's former governor, Prince Andrew and Sen. Mitchell, 85, who represented Maine in the Senate from 1980-1995.
Mitchell, in a statement to NEWS CENTER Maine, called the previously sealed documents false and said he never had any contact with Giuffre.
In a transcript of the May 3, 2016, videotaped deposition, Giuffre states that in 2000 she was working a summer job as a locker room attendant for the spa area at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, when she was approached by Maxwell.
Maxwell allegedly told Giuffre she knew someone who was looking for a traveling masseuse, and that Giuffre could be trained and educated. "If the guy likes you, then, you know, it will work out for you," Maxwell allegedly told her. "You'll travel. You'll make good money. You'll be educated, and you'll finally get accredited."
Giuffre said she had to ask her dad for permission, which was granted.
Later, she testifies that she bought her first vehicle, a Dodge Dakota, following a trip to London to meet Prince Andrew, whom she says she met in 2001.
Giuffre claims she had sexual contact with Maxwell "everywhere," including in Palm Beach and at Epstein's mansion in New York, and later testified that Maxwell instructed her to have sex with Epstein.
She's then asked by Maxwell's attorney Laura Menninger to "name the other 23 politically connected and financially powerful people Maxwell told [her] to go have sex with," to which she replies by correcting Maxwell with "they," presumably referring to both Maxwell and Epstein, and stating the following:
"They instructed me to go to George Mitchell, Jean Luc Brunel, Bill Richardson, another prince that I don't know his name. A guy that owns a hotel, a really large hotel chain, I can't remember which hotel it was. Marvin Minsky."
The defense soon after again asks Giuffre about prominent men she allegedly came into contact with, asking if she had sex with anyone other than the aforementioned Andrew, Brunel, Richardson, unnamed prince, Minsky, as well as Glenn Dubin and Stephen Kaufmann — Mitchell's name is notably left out.
"I am definitely sure there is," Giuffre testfies. "But can I remember everybody's name? No." She then claims she took notes but burned them in a bonfire.
Here's Mitchell's statement, in full:
"The allegation contained in the released documents is false.
"I have never met, spoken with or had any contact with Ms. Giuffre.
"In my contacts with Mr. Epstein I never observed or suspected any inappropriate conduct with underage girls. I only learned of his actions when they were reported in the media related to his prosecution in Florida. We have had no further contact."