Who is Todd Blanche – the lawyer who carried out the Maxwell interviewpublished at 21:46 British Summer Time
21:46 BST
The Ghislaine Maxwell interview was carried out by Todd Blanche, who has risen from a lawyer little-known outside of legal circles to a key Trump administration official in just a couple of years.
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he picked Blanche as his deputy attorney general, the second most senior position in the Justice Department.
The president already knew Blanche well – he had served as his personal lawyer during one of the most infamous moments in his career.
In 2023, Blanche left his senior role at a New York-based law firm to represent Trump during his 2024 hush money trial, which centred around a payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election over a sexual encounter she says they had.
Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts after a jury found he had broke the law by concealing that payment as legal expenses, becoming the first US president to be convicted of a crime.
Despite losing the case, Blanche gained Trump’s trust during the high-profile trial and was given a senior government position when he returned to office. He is also serving as the acting librarian of Congress, another official position appointed by the president.
Blanche’s move from personal lawyer to government official, and subsequent involvement in the White House’s response to pressure over Trump’s links with Jeffrey Epstein, have led to questions from some legal analysts over where the Justice Department ends and Trump’s personal legal team begins.