Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton all flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s jet, pilot tells Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial
DONALD Trump, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton all flew on Jeffrey Epstein's private jet, the paedo millionaire's former pilot told the Ghislaine Maxwell trial.
The two former US Presidents and the Duke of York were mentioned as Maxwell faces six charges of sex trafficking and abuse over her alleged role as Epstein's "madam".
Lawrence Visoski, who is testifying for the prosecution, was quizzed during cross examination about passengers aboard Epstein's private planes.
Maxwell was the "number two" in the hierarchy of Epstein's employees, while the millionaire himself was the "big number one", he said.
And he confirmed Trump, Andrew and Clinton all flew on the jet - along with other big names such as Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey & Chris Tucker, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and US Senators John Glenn & George Mitchell.
Under cross examination from defence counsel Christian Everdell, Mr Visoski was asked "Are you familiar with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York?
"He is the second son of the Queen. Did he ever fly on Epstein's planes?"
"Yes, he did," Mr Visoski replied.
Moving on to former president Trump, Mr Visoski said: "He flew on them a number of times."
The pilot recalled having to make the plane "look nice" for Clinton and that Trump flew on the plane "a number of times".
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He also told the court he never saw any sexual activity on the flight, or any underage girls without their parents.
Epstein is long known to have courted the rich and famous as he hid in plain sight - including with flights on his planes.
Clinton, Trump and Andrew have all previously have been reported to have once had friendships with Epstein.
But only Andrew has been accused of sexual misconduct relating to the millionaire - and it is an allegation he vehemently denies.
Mr Visoski added that some passengers aboard the plane he did not know and he did not always record all passengers' first and last names on flight manifests.
The pilot flew around 1,000 flights for the paedophile when piloting the aircraft from the early 1990s to 2004.
However, he was clear he never saw any sexual actions, sex toys or used condoms while he was aboard the plane.
And he even said Epstein encouraged him to use the bathroom at the rear of the aircraft, which meant he had to walk through the cabin.
He insisted if he had inkling that Epstein or Maxwell were participating in sex abuse he would "quit".
However, the pilot recalled meeting an alleged victim named as "Jane" - describing her as having "piercing powder blue eyes" - and high profile accuser Virginia Roberts.
She preyed on vulnerable young girls, manipulated them and served them up to be sexually abuse
Lara Pomerantz
Taking to the stand after the pilot, was "Jane" - who is testifying against Maxwell under a pseudonym.
She claimed that Epstein and Maxwell would tell her about their powerful friends, such as Trump and Clinton.
The victim testified she was approached by the couple while at school, and said she first had sexual contact with the millionaire when she was just 14.
Maxwell was in the room at the time, she said.
And she recalled at one time seeing Ghislaine with four other women, all topless and some naked, and that Maxwell would ask her about her love life.
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Epstein started to pay for things for her, such as voice lessons and clothes, and at one point masturbated on her.
Maxwell first appeared in court this morning just after 8.30am wearing a mask, a beige turtleneck sweater and black slacks while cradling a lime green folder.
She waved to her sister Isabel who is in court to support her - and was also seen taking notes and passing them to her lawyers.
Prosecutors argue Maxwell "served up" young girls to Epstein as part of a pyramid scheme of abuse as she appeared in court in New York.
However her lawyers deny all charges against her, argue she is being made a proxy for Epstein, and have painted the alleged victims as in it for the cash.
She is facing charges relating to four alleged victims, three of whom are appearing anonymously - with the one named complainant being Annie Farmer.
Maxwell's charges:
GHISLAINE Maxwell faces six charges over her alleged involvement with Jeffrey Epstein:
- Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex
- Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Sex trafficking conspiracy
- Sex trafficking of a minor
Epstein and Maxwell rubbed shoulders with the world's rich and famous - allegedly hiding in plain sight amid a web of sordid sex abuse.
She is a close friend of The Queen's "favourite son" Prince Andrew, allegedly being the one who introduced him to Epstein.
Clinton was already known to have taken flights aboard Epstein's plane - and has previously been pictured with both him and Maxwell.
He was snapped chomping on a cigar aboard the Lolita Express, and also pictured with alleged sex slave Chauntae Davies.
However, he has denied any wrongdoing over his relationship with Epstein.
Trump meanwhile is known to have rubbed shoulders with Epstein and Maxwell through his Palm Beach resort Mar-a-Lago.
He has previously tried to distance himself from Epstein - including allegedly banning him from the private club.
However, the two are understood to have once been friends - with the reality TV star calling him a "terrific guy" who liked "younger" women in a 2002 interview with New York Magazine.
And while Epstein is now known to have been a paedophile, Maxwell's defence team are attempting to claim she is being used as a "scapegoat".
Her lawyer Bobbi Sternheim claimed ";ever since Eve, women have been blamed for the evil deeds of men".
She said: "Ghislaine Maxwell is not Jeffrey Epstein or any of the other men, moguls and media giants who abuse women."
The defence are expected to hinge much of their case on going after the victims.
"The government is trying to stitch together four different story," Sternheim said.
"But the only common denominator is they got big payouts. These are paper cut-outs. The charges are not supported."
However, the prosecution paint a very different picture of Ghislaine as instrumental in Epstein's web of money, sex and lies.
Lawyers called the 59-year-old Brit heiress a "dangerous predator" and said she and Epstein were “partners in crime”.
Maxwell is alleged to have snared girls as young as 14 into a "nightmare" after promising them "the world".
She is accused of walking girls into Epstein's liar where she watched as he molested them - and sometimes even joined in.
Pomerantz explained that Maxwell and Epstein had been in a relationship but remained "the best of friends" after they split.
Through the financier, Maxwell was able to maintain a luxurious lifestyle.
“She was involved in every detail of Epstein’s life. During the ten years, they committed these crimes together. She was the lady of the house,"; she said.
Convicted sex offender Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial for further sex trafficking charges in August 2019.
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She also faces two other charges of perjury over allegations she lied in a deposition in a separate civil suit, but these will be tried separately.
Maxwell was arrested suddenly in July 2020 - and has been held in prison ever since as she was deemed a flight risk.