Maxwell's Expanded Superseding Indictment Adds Perjury Charges

The superseding indictment against Maxwell was a significant expansion of the case against her — adding perjury charges that created additional legal exposure and reflected prosecutors’ confidence in the strength of their documentary evidence.

The Underlying Depositions

The perjury charges stemmed from Maxwell’s 2016 deposition in the Virginia Giuffre civil case — a deposition that had been subject to sealing orders for years before eventually being released to the public.

In the deposition, Maxwell made numerous statements under oath about her relationship with Epstein, her knowledge of young women who visited his properties, and her own conduct. Prosecutors assembled evidence that contradicted specific sworn statements she made.

What the Charges Alleged

The perjury counts alleged that Maxwell lied when she:

• Denied knowing that Epstein preferred sexual contact with underage girls
• Denied recruiting, grooming, or otherwise facilitating sexual contact between young women and Epstein
• Denied awareness of or participation in the trafficking operation she later stood convicted of

Trial Strategy Implications

The perjury charges gave prosecutors a tool beyond testimony: Maxwell’s own sworn words, taken out of context from the 2016 deposition, could be compared directly with witness testimony at trial. Where witnesses described events and Maxwell’s deposition denied those events, the jury could evaluate her credibility against contemporaneous documentary statements.

Conviction

Maxwell was convicted on five of six original counts. The perjury counts added complexity but the primary conviction came on the sex trafficking and grooming charges.