(NewsNation) — Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney Arthur Aidala questions why his client was only accused after her former partner Jeffrey Epstein died in prison.
“She was convicted by a judge, and a prosecutor’s office, that was so focused on ‘Well, we messed up with Epstein because he’s gone now, but we got to get someone else,'” Aidala said during an appearance on “CUOMO.”
In March, a U.S. appeals court will review Maxwell’s conviction and 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
Aidala doesn’t think Maxwell got a fair trial and says she didn’t testify becuase she was treated poorly.
“Let’s just say she’s 100% factually guilty. … In this country, even if you become public enemy, you’re supposed to get a fair trial,” Aidala said. “She went days during her trial without eating,” Aidala alleges.
Jurors found Maxwell, 62, guilty in December 2021 of five charges for recruiting and grooming four underage girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004.
Maxwell is housed at a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida. She is eligible for release in July 2037.
At the end of the interview, Cuomo presses Aidala asking if his client Maxwell has an opinion regarding the what exactly happened to Jeffrey Epstein, does she believe he killed himself or was he murdered?
Aidala responds saying, “She definitely has a take, we spoke about it for a while and maybe you’ll invite me back on the show after the March 12th [trial].”
Reuters contributed tot his report.