Page 3 WHY ARE THE RICH AND POWERFUL SO IN THRALL TO MAXWELL'S DAILY MAIL (London) January 10, 2015 Saturday In court papers, it has been claimed that Maxwell not only trafficked girls to provide erotic massages' to Epstein and a host of his famous and influential friends, but that she also took part in the abuse. One lawsuit accuses her, in graphic detail, of joining the paedophile financier in sexually assaulting, battering, exploiting and abusing' a 15-year-old girl. Ms Maxwell, it must be stressed, has always vigorously denied each and every allegation against her. But the scandal has failed to o awa A week ago, it returned to the front pages when an American woman called said in court papers that Ms Maxwell had recruited her to Epstein's harem in the late 1990s before, in 2001, flying her across the Atlantic to meet Prince Andrew. Roberts, who was 17, then claims to have slept with Andrew three times. Ms Maxwell has called her claims obvious lies', while the Prince has put out three statements to the same effect. Intriguingly, the Prince forced, amid public outrage, to discontinue his friendship with Epstein in 2011 remains on friendly terms with Ghislaine. Indeed, a photograph emerged this week of Ms Maxwell wearing a blonde wig, midriff- baring top and gold trousers with her arm draped around Prince Andrew's shoulders at a Hookers & Pimps Halloween party in New York hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum in 2000. What is more, in 2013, Andrew attended her birthday party at the Dorchester Hotel in London. The starry guest-list included Britain's richest MP, Labours Shaun Woodward, and his Sainsbury's heiress wife Camilla, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and former It- girl Tamara Beckwith. Last year, Ghislaine maintained a near-constant presence among New York's smart society, and was photographed socialising with actress Julianna Margulies, movie star Josh Lucas and Jimmy Choo entrepreneur Tamara Mellon. All of which invites two questions.