Last of 4 Alleged Victims Testifies; Prosecution Rests in Maxwell Trial
Last of 4 Alleged Victims Testifies; Prosecution Rests in Maxwell Trial

By Dave Paone

NEW YORK-Annie Farmer, an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, testified in Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial in federal court on December 10, making her the last of the four alleged victims called to testify.

Unlike the other alleged victims, Farmer used her actual, full name. The previous ones used either just a first name or a pseudonym.

Under direct examination by Lara Pomerantz, Farmer testified that her older sister, Maria, worked for Epstein in 1995. The sister was 25 and Farmer was 16.

Farmer first met Epstein at his New York City residence, when she visited her sister there, traveling from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, in December of 1995.

Farmer was under the impression that Epstein would help her with her college applications. At one point he suggested an international trip would look good on one.

During her stay in New York, Epstein purchased the sisters tickets to the Broadway musical, “Phantom of the Opera.”

Another evening Epstein took them to see a movie. Epstein was seated next to Farmer.

She testified that Epstein “caressed” her hand and held it during the film. She stated he also rubbed her foot and this made her “sick to her stomach.”

Farmer explained that she never told her sister about the incident because she “was very confused about what happened” and was fearful her sister would lose her job if she said anything.

During her young life, Farmer sporadically kept a journal.

In an entry dated January 25, 1996, she wrote, “It was a little weird,” regarding the handholding. Additionally, she wrote, “It was no big deal” because “he was so nice and generous with everyone,” and thought he was “being fatherly or something.”

Pages from the journal were admitted as evidence.

While back in Arizona, Farmer said she spoke to Epstein on the phone two or three times.

It was in April of 1996 when Farmer flew to Epstein’s Santa Fe ranch. She was still 16 years old.

“I was not eager to go to New Mexico,” she said. “I did not want to be alone with him.”

However, she knew Maxwell would be around so that made her feel safer, although she questioned why these adults wanted to spend time with a teen.

This time, according to Farmer, she went to a movie with Epstein and Maxwell, and the hand caressing started again, and lasted “throughout the majority of the movie.”

“He was very blatant in doing it,” she said.

As Maxwell is purported to have done with other alleged victims, she brought up the subject of foot massages and instructed Farmer on how to give one to Epstein.

“I felt very uncomfortable,” said Farmer. “I was hoping it would be over quickly.”

This led to Maxwell giving Farmer a message.

Maxwell set up a massage table in Farmer’s room on the property. “She told me to get undressed,” said Farmer.

Farmer testified she laid facedown, under a sheet, at first. Then Maxwell had her roll over, pulled the sheet down, and started rubbing Farmer’s breasts.

The next morning, Farmer claims Epstein came into her bedroom and asked if she wanted to cuddle. He climbed into bed with her, wrapped his arms around her, and pressed his body against hers.

She faked having to use the bathroom and stayed in there until he left.

Farmer said she did not make a journal entry regarding New Mexico because she “did not want to think about it.”

In the summer of 1996, when Farmer was 17 years old, she took that international trip to Thailand and Vietnam. Epstein paid for it.

At some point, Farmer told her mother, Janice Swain, that “something uncomfortable” happened during the New York trip. In the fall of 1996, Farmer started dating Dave Mulligan and she told him of the incidents. Both Swain and Mulligan testified at the end of day.

Farmer disclosed that she was awarded $1.5 million from the Jeffrey Epstein Victims’ Compensation Fund and did not have to pay her lawyers, who worked pro bono.

As part of the settlement, she had to drop her lawsuit against Maxwell and Epstein.

Upon cross examination, defense attorney Laura Menninger had Farmer confirm her sister arranged for Farmer’s travel to New York.

“Ghislaine Maxwell had no logistics in your travel to New York,” stated Menninger. “That’s correct,” said Farmer.

Farmer confirmed she had never met or even talked to Maxwell in  New York, and that Maxwell never took Farmer to the movies while there, or pay for the international trip.

Once again, the defense used its reliable method of finding inconsistencies in current testimony by referring to depositions taken a few years ago.

Menninger had Farmer confirm that she used her journal entries to refresh her memory of events that happened 25 years ago, as well as looking up the release dates of the movies they saw.

Menninger also had Farmer confirm there was absolutely no mention of Maxwell in any of the journal entries.

Menninger had Farmer further confirm that the New Mexico trip was arranged on the phone by Epstein, and that Farmer didn’t meet Maxwell until after she arrived.

Menninger found several inconsistencies in Farmer’s testimony about the massage she was given by Maxwell, especially when it came to what she was wearing or not wearing, as well as how much fondling went on and what was fondled.

Pomerantz, on redirect, attempted to prove Farmer’s memory is credible by asking, “Do you remember Maxwell touching your breasts?”

“Yes,” said Farmer.

She further asked, “Do you need a journal entry or a piece of paper to remember Ghislaine Maxwell touching your breasts?”

“I do not,” she replied.

The prosecution rested at the end of the day, making its case in two weeks.

The trial will resume on Thursday, December 16. It’s believed Judge Alison Nathan has a scheduling conflict for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

NH POLITICIAN is owned and operated by USNN World News Corporation, a New Hampshire based media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion information, local,...