NYC federal prosecutors slam column by Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer comparing her to Bill Cosby
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors were miffed by a column in the New York Daily News written by Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney, comparing his client’s criminal case to Bill Cosby’s, a new court filing shows.
Prosecutors asked a judge to remind the lawyer, David Oscar Markus, about rules restricting out-of-court statements in a letter filed late Thursday.
“Mr. Markus’s comments to the media — most egregiously, the Op-Ed — were clearly in violation of Local Rule 23.1. Not only did his statements directly comment on the merits of this case, but they did so in a manner designed to appeal directly to the pool of potential jurors in this case: the Op-Ed was published in a local newspaper, and it contained an express overture to jurors, discussing the verdict defense counsel wishes jurors to reach in this case,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe wrote.
In the column published Wednesday, Markus drew a parallel between a Pennsylvania prosecutor’s pledge not to criminally charge Cosby if he testified in a civil case against him and the controversial plea deal that helped Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators dodge federal charges in Florida.
Maxwell “should not have to fight her case at trial and her case should be thrown out, just like Cosby’s has been, because prosecutors promised Epstein when he pleaded guilty that they would not prosecute her,” Markus wrote.
Prosecutors on the Maxwell case noted that Judge Alison Nathan had already ruled the unusually broad deal Epstein’s lawyers negotiated with the feds in Florida did not apply to the ongoing case in Manhattan Federal Court.
They asked Nathan to admonish Markus about the piece, as well as other remarks he’s made to the press.
“Mr. Markus’s continued comments ... are inappropriate, and are likely to interfere with the Court’s ability to conduct a fair trial with an impartial jury in this case,” Moe wrote.
Markus said he’ll file a response to the letter next week. Maxwell’s legal team has complained about a press conference last year announcing the charges against her, as well as public statements by her alleged victims and their attorneys.
Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to grooming and trafficking underage victims of Epstein.
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