Epstein employee: Maxwell told him to 'see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing'

Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Jeffrey Epstein's former house manager testified Thursday that Ghislaine Maxwell gave him detailed instructions on how to run the late financier's homes, including orders to keep their activities and whereabouts secret.

Juan Alessi, who managed the late financier's Palm Beach, Fla., home, testified that Maxwell, who stands trial in New York for six charges including sex trafficking of minors, gave him an instruction booklet for how staff should handle Epstein's homes in 2001 or 2002 stating that most of the pages "were just unbelievable to me."

"Remember that you see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing except to answer a question directed at you. Respect their privacy," Alessi read from the manual Thursday.

Alessi, 71, said he took the passage to mean he was to be "blind, deaf and dumb" and to "say nothing" of Epstein and Maxwell's lives.

"Unless otherwise instructed NEVER disclose Mr. Epstein or Ms. Maxwell's activities or whereabouts to anyone," another passage read. "If the caller is insistent you simply ask them to take a message, a time, a number where the caller can be reached. Do not be bullied and do not show any reaction or impatience. Simply be firm."

Alessi, who began working at the house along with his wife after a referral from the mother of billionaire businessman Les Wexner, identified Maxwell when asked by prosecutors if anyone other than Epstein gave him instructions about his responsibilities.

He described Maxwell as a "pretty girl, a tall brunette" when they first met and said she quickly took command of the home and was with Epstein "95 percent" of the time he stayed at the Palm Beach house.

"Ms. Maxwell was the girlfriend of Mr. Epstein, I understand she was the lady of the house," he said. "From the day she came to the house, she right away took over, and she mentioned she was going to be the lady of the house. Also, she was in charge of other homes, other properties."

He added that his relationship with Epstein degraded from "cordial" to more "professional" after Maxwell arrived, adding that she told him Epstein "doesn't like when you look at his eyes" and instructed him to "just look at another part of the room and answer him."

Alessi also testified that "many, many, many" females came through Epstein's Palm Beach home when he worked there and that women would be topless 75% to 80% of the time as they sat by the pool with Epstein and Maxwell.

He recalled two girls he believed were underage that visited the house: Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has previously accused Epstein of abuse, and a woman who testified under the pseudonym "Jane" earlier this week that she was abused by Maxwell and Epstein.

Jane came to the house at least three times with her mother and several other times by herself, Alessi said, adding that he more than once personally picked her up and brought her to the Palm Beach home. He also recalled "maybe twice" driving Jane onto the airport tarmac with Epstein, Maxwell and others and watching them board one of Epstein's planes.