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DOJ Releases Blanche-Maxwell Interview Transcript and Audio; Interview with Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL): Epstein Records Sent to House Oversight Committee; Kilmar Abrego Garcia Release from Criminal Custody in Tennessee. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 22, 2025 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We're continuing to follow breaking news to CNN. We have just learned that the DOJ has handed over the Epstein files to the House Oversight Committee and separately that the Department of Justice has released transcript and audio of the interview between Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

We're joined now live by Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez. He's a member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees. Congressman, thank you so much for waiting patiently as we were navigating this breaking news.

First, I just want to get your reaction to the transfer of these documents over to House Oversight. What are you most interested in learning from the release of these files?

REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL): I just want to find out the, you know, the truth. Who was involved and then how this deal came about. When it came about, you know, some 10, 15 years ago.

Look, what I find interesting, too, is that everybody's trying to do contortions to say that somehow President Trump was involved in this. Now, the Biden administration had these files for four years. Now, if you think that somehow there was something in there that somehow implicated Donald Trump, I think the Biden administration probably would have published that a long time ago, especially in light of they did all these contortions, all these legal contortions to indict him over and over again.

Here they have a big smoking gun and they won't divulge that. I don't buy it. And so that's why I think there's nothing there concerning Donald Trump.

Look, all the files should be, you know, posted. All the files should be made public. The DOJ has been trying to unseal some of these files and federal judges have stopped them.

And so, again, I think there's a lot of speculation, but I think in the end nothing implicating Donald Trump is going to be found anywhere close to the Epstein files. SANCHEZ: Sure. I believe that federal judges blocked the release of

grand jury testimony. And I did want to point out that there were legal restrictions on the release of these files. And that is part of the reason that we've had to wait for their release.

It was also something that the president promised repeatedly to do when he was on the campaign trail. I'm curious, Congressman, how would you know for sure that DOJ has handed everything over, that they're not holding anything back?

GIMENEZ: Look, that's going to be a speculation. Even if they hand everything over and they have nothing more, somebody's going to speculate that there's something there that they're trying to hide because, you know, it's a Republican DOJ, they're going to try to protect President Trump, et cetera, et cetera. And that's going to continue to go on and on and on and on.

Just like the Russia stuff, you know, back in 2017 that President Trump was a Russian agent, et cetera, working with Putin, that turned out to be total baloney. Again, my biggest evidence in this is the fact that these files were under the control of the Biden administration and nothing ever came out. If that's the case, that to me is the greatest evidence that there's absolutely nothing there.

[15:35:00]

SANCHEZ: Again, there were legal restrictions regarding the release of many of these files.

I do want to ask you about something that you noted a moment ago, which is the non-prosecution agreement, this so-called sweetheart deal that was brokered by the former U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida, Alex Acosta, a former Trump administration official. Why has he not been called to testify before the House Oversight Committee?

GIMENEZ: I think he should and explain why that sweetheart deal was obtained and why he signed off on it. I mean, I know Alex Acosta, and, you know, he's from Miami, and so, you know, I didn't understand the reasons why. I don't think anybody really can understand the reasons why he got such a sweetheart deal.

It was a different time. You know, it was 10, 15 years ago. And so, again, I think he should explain, OK, why is it that he got this sweetheart deal.

And he also got a sweetheart deal, I think, from Palm Beach County, where the crimes actually occurred. And so, you know, this whole thing was a travesty of justice, especially, you know, for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. And we should get to the bottom of it.

But, again, if somehow we feel that somehow President Trump is going to be involved in this, I just don't see it. I think that, you know, we're barking up the wrong tree. Justice needed to be served for the victims, and we need to get to the bottom and make sure that this kind of a sweetheart deal is never reached again in the future in the United States.

SANCHEZ: And I know you don't serve on the Oversight Committee, but I did hear Democratic Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, who does, tell Brianna earlier that there was some pushback from oversight Republicans on calling Acosta to testify. Would you advise your fellow lawmakers to change their mind?

GIMENEZ: Yes, look, I don't understand the reason why. I mean, he was the individual that had to sign off on this deal. Again, I wasn't there. He may have some good reasons why, but I think he needs to explain the reasons why that was the case.

And so I would recommend to my Republicans, because if not, this is just going to drag on forever. We need to get to the bottom of it. We need to put it behind us. You know, President Trump doesn't need this for another three and a half years, like the Russia collusion hoax that lasted throughout his entire presidency. It turned out to be a total baloney, a big hoax.

And so this is just a distraction, I believe, and we need to put this behind us. And the faster we put it behind us, the better it is for everybody concerned, including the country.

SANCHEZ: I do want to point out that while Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find any evidence of collusion, there was a bipartisan consensus that Russia did meddle in the 2016 election. There was electoral meddling. I do want to ask you, Congressman, since we have you, about --

GIMENEZ: Yes, but that wasn't the case. No, no -- well, hold on a second. The problem wasn't that somehow Russia meddled in the election, et cetera. The problem was that people were accusing President Trump of somehow being, you know, involved in it.

SANCHEZ: And I pointed out that there was no collusion found by the special counsel --

GIMENEZ: That turned out to be total baloney.

SANCHEZ: I just wanted to clarify the point, Congressman. We do appreciate you repeating that.

I don't think I said anything to contradict what you said --

GIMENEZ: OK.

SANCHEZ: -- though I appreciate your attempt to clarify. I want to ask you about the search at former National Security Advisor John Bolton's house earlier today since we have you. President Trump claims that he doesn't know anything about it, that he doesn't want to know anything about it. I'm curious to compare your thoughts on this to what you shared back in 2022. I believe we have the tweet.

This is when President Trump's home of Mar-a-Lago was searched for classified materials. President Biden at the time claimed to have no knowledge of it. You tweeted in 2022, this is either incompetence or a gross abuse of power.

I wonder, Congressman, what safeguards are in place right now in this administration to ensure that DOJ is not being weaponized against someone who is an outspoken critic of President Trump, who President Trump has called unpatriotic?

GIMENEZ: Look, I think what we need to do is find out what the results of this raid are. If, in fact, Ambassador Bolton actually had classified material in his home, he's not covered by the Presidential Records Act. Only the President of the United States is.

Which, by the way, President Trump was a president. And so he actually was covered by the Presidential Records Act. He had some kind of protection from that. John Bolton does not.

And so there was a federal judge that obviously, you know, signed off on the warrant for the searches of, you know, of his home and, I guess, his office to see if there was classified material there.

Just like Vice President Biden and Senator Biden did not have the right to hold classified material in his home or in other places, neither does John Bolton because he's not president of the United States.

Let's find out what they do find and then let the chips fall where they may.

SANCHEZ: I just want to let you know, Congressman, I have two attorneys here to my left. George Conway and Dave Aronberg are still with us. You may actually know Dave from South Florida.

[15:40:00]

They both shook their heads when you said that Trump was covered by the Presidential Records Act there. Just pointing that out. I know you can't see them, but there is some dispute over that.

GIMENEZ: Well, he wasn't president of the United States? Really? He wasn't president of the United States? Really?

SANCHEZ: I'm not denying that. I'm just pointing out that these legal minds are laughing right now at the suggestion that you can keep classified documents in your personal home after you leave office or that you can declassify something by just thinking that you've declassified them. That was never adjudicated in court.

The American people reelected President Trump and those charges went away. Before we go, Congressman, I do want to ask you about the U.S. operations in the Caribbean, specifically off the coast of Venezuela. This is apparently an effort to curb drug trafficking. Nicolas Maduro is claiming that the United States is attempting to take over Venezuela, that an invasion may be imminent.

Is this part of an effort to topple Maduro's regime as the administration, I believe, has doubled a reward for his capture? GIMENEZ: Look, I think all the steps that the administration has taken indicate that President Trump is not happy with the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro. There is a legitimate government that's waiting to take, you know, power, which Nicolas Maduro, the narco- trafficker, the head of a terrorist organization, is actually holding Venezuela, you know, for ransom. And so, you know, the president is bent on protecting America and Americans.

Remember, these cartels have cost hundreds of thousands of American lives, and Nicolas Maduro is right in the middle of it. He's the head of the Cartel de Soles in Venezuela. And so, yes, I think that the steps are there, you know, upping the bounty, freezing his assets, then, you know, dispatching American troops into the air.

It's a pretty clear signal that the president means business. And if I were Nicolas Maduro, I'd find a way to leave and leave the country in the hands of the legitimate government of Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina. That's what needs to happen in Venezuela.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Carlos Gimenez, again, we appreciate you being patient with us as we navigated the breaking news and pivoting there. Thanks so much for sharing your point of view.

GIMENEZ: No, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Ahead, we are following the breaking news of the release of the Epstein files to Congress, a key interview as well with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. We're reviewing that. We're going to bring you new details as we get them into CNN.

Stay with us.

[15:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: We are following several breaking news stories today, including the release of some Jeffrey Epstein files from DOJ to Congress, also DOJ releasing audio and a transcript of Todd Blanche, the deputy AG's interview with Ghislaine Maxwell. Releasing that -- as well we should mention, he's formerly President Trump's personal lawyer. We have much more on that ahead. But first, there's another breaking news story.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia has just been released from criminal custody in Tennessee. It's the latest development in a legal saga surrounding the Maryland father of three who was returned to the U.S. after being mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year.

CNN's Rafael Romo is following the latest from Tennessee. What more are you learning, Rafael?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brianna, it was about 45 minutes ago that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from federal custody from that set of double doors behind me. We are in Tennessee. This is the Putnam County jail facility where he was held since June when U.S. officials returned them from El Salvador back to the United States the very same day that they announced that he was facing human smuggling charges.

This is a case that has been a flashpoint for federal officials and immigrants' rights groups because he was originally detained, as you may remember, in March. And just a few days later, due to a clerical error, he was deported to his native El Salvador. And not only that, he was sent to a notorious prison for gang members.

In the following weeks, a federal judge ordered the federal government to facilitate his return, but it didn't happen until early June. And now we have the news that about 45 minutes ago he was released.

He was surrounded by five other men. There was a sheriff's deputy protecting him. There was also a man in a suit, possibly one of his attorneys, and then there were three other men, possibly bodyguards, who were with him.

The whole thing, Brianna, took only a matter of seconds. There was, on this side, a white GMC SUV waiting for him. They sped away. They didn't answer any questions, nor was there time to ask any questions.

But again, once again, this man who has been known because he was originally detained and became the foster child for the immigration crackdown for President Trump is now released from federal custody -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

And ahead, we will turn back to our top story, the release of some Epstein files to Congress, also the release of an interview transcript and audio between the DOJ and Epstein accomplice convicted, Ghislaine Maxwell.

We'll have more on that ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Continuing to follow the breaking news, the release of the Epstein files to the House Oversight Committee and the release of the transcript and audio of this interview between Deputy AG Todd Blanche, a former personal attorney of President Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell, a former Epstein associate.

Notably, Maxwell, in this transcript, attempts to distance herself from Epstein, saying, quote, I am not here to defend him. She insisted, however, that she did not participate in that activity with underage girls, something that has been refuted by victims of Epstein.

Back with us now, Dave Aronberg, former state attorney in Palm Beach County, also attorney and co-host of the podcast, George Conway Explains It All, George Conway. What do you make of these details that we're getting now?

Maxwell distancing herself from Epstein, also saying that she never witnessed anything untoward in Trump's friendship with Epstein.

DAVE ARONBERG, FORMER STATE ATTORNEY, PALM BEACH COUNTY: Well, distancing herself from Epstein is a lie because she was an enabler. She was a participant. You had multiple individuals say she was part of the abuse. So it's a lie. You can't believe anything this woman says.

[15:55:00]

But from what we see from this transcript, Trump is getting what he wants. She is saying that Trump didn't do anything untoward, nothing criminal. That's what Trump wants. Ideally, he'd also like names of Democrats who did do something wrong because that's what the MAGA base has been promised.

GEORGE CONWAY, ATTORNEY, CO-HOST OF PODCAST, GEORGE CONWAY EXPLAINS IT ALL: The big tell for me from what was what Kaitlin read earlier was the vagueness of some of the answers because the vagueness of some of the answers suggests that the questions were vague. Did you ever see Donald Trump do anything inappropriate? Like, who is going to take Ghislaine Maxwell's judgment on what is appropriate and what is not appropriate?

I certainly won't. And the way, you know, it strikes me that, you know, his personal lawyer was -- Donald Trump's personal lawyer is the Deputy Attorney General, who was the personal criminal defense lawyer, defended him in the criminal case he got convicted on in New York. And, you know, I don't think this guy asked very specific questions.

I mean, if you give this transcript to Dave and me, I don't know what you think. I mean, if you gave this transcript to Dave and me, and if it sounds -- if it's like the way it sounds, I got to tell you, you gave us 20 minutes for that transcript, we'd come up with 100 questions that should have been asked more specific.

KEILAR: This is, to be clear, and in this interview, is still referring to sexual assaults as massages. So her standard and vocabulary is a little different than perhaps what would be standard.

I think it's interesting because Trump has actually publicly recently talked about how Epstein poached from him young women who worked at the spa at his Mar-a-Lago club. And the accounts from at least one victim was that it was Ghislaine Maxwell herself who did the poaching. It was testified, as you've noted, at trial. And yet she's asked about it by Todd Blanche -- and this goes, again, to her credibility, which, you know, I know she's been indicted previously for perjury, so there's problems with it.

But she's not even confirming what seems like obvious. So that sort of speaks to something very important here.

ARONBERG: You have to lock her down, and you have to ask specific questions, and you have to ask follow-up questions. But instead of putting the line prosecutor in that room with her who knows everything, like Maureen Comey, right, James Comey's daughter, who was fired, they brought the number two person, who was Trump's personal lawyer, to ask these vague questions. He doesn't know all the details of this case, but that's why he was sent down there, because he was sent down there for a reason and mission accomplished.

CONWAY: I mean, good lawyers know how to ask questions and get answers, but lawyers also know how to ask questions not to get answers. And, you know, if you want, part of, I mean, you know this as journalists. I mean, part of the way, if you don't ask the right question, you don't get the right answer, and that's just the way this works.

SANCHEZ: We're still going through the transcript, and we were just handed some information that in the transcript of this conversation, Maxwell actually criticizes testimony from an underage victim who claimed that she was, in graphic testimony, that Maxwell was actually part of the sexual abuse when she was 14, 15, and 16 years old. Maxwell apparently says to Todd Blanche, I don't think that testimony is correct, claiming that Epstein had never met the girl before she was 16, and that she had never met Jane, which is a name being used to protect the victim's identity, as 20 or 21. Blanche responds, I don't want to get into he said, she said.

What do you make of that?

CONWAY: That's absurd. In a situation where you're giving somebody queen for a day immunity, and they're supposed to be telling you the truth, or else they're subject -- they could be subjected to false statements, charges, or perjury, you know, the notion that you're not trying to test her credibility, and that you're not trying to assess her credibility is absurd. And it's only, you know, the only reason why anybody would not push on that, if there's contradiction between the witness, Ghislaine Maxwell, and trial testimony of the victims, is you don't want to undermine this woman's credibility, because you want her to say something favorable to your former client, who's the President of the United States.

KEILAR: So Dave, big picture, what is the effect of releasing this transcript of the interview done by the Deputy AG, formerly President Trump's personal attorney, who represented him in the Hush Money trial, what's the effect of this?

ARONBERG: It's not going to have a real effect. See, all these piecemeal attempts, releasing this transcript, trying to get the grand jury transcripts, trying to get the stuff from Comer's committee, that's a sideshow. What the MAGA base wants, and what they're claiming for, is the Epstein file, and that has not been released in total.

Until that happens, there's going to be a lot of unsatisfied, right- wing conspiracy theorists who think they're continuing to be lied to.

CONWAY: And it's like what we were saying at the top of the hour, this is going to be, I think, like the release of the Zelenskyy memo of the conversation that Trump had with the Zelenskyy, where it just raises many, many more questions.

[16:00:00]

KEILAR: And interesting note there, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Yes, I was just pointing out to Brianna that as part of this testimony, Maxwell says of Jeffrey Epstein's death that she does not believe that he died by suicide.

ARONBERG: Wow. I mean, she obviously hasn't worked in government. She doesn't know that cameras fail because old equipment, people fall asleep who are supposed to be on the job who are overworked and underpaid. And also the people closest to it all, Julie K. Brown, the reporter, and others, Alan Dershowitz, all said it's a suicide.

So she's a conspiracy theorist herself, then.

CONWAY: And she's going to light the fire for more conspiracy theories on the right.

KEILAR: Dave and George, thank you so much to both of you for being with us for this.

And "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

END