Podcast Summary: The Tara Palmeri Show

Episode: EXCLUSIVE: Deciding Vote Blocking Epstein Files Tied to Ghislaine Maxwell
Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Abby Baker (Researcher and reporter)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the behind-the-scenes connections between Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski—the deciding vote on releasing Jeffrey Epstein’s files—and Ghislaine Maxwell’s inner circle. Host Tara Palmeri and reporter Abby Baker unravel a web of personal, political, and business ties linking Murkowski, Maxwell, her husband Scott Borgerson, and influential Alaskan donor Alice Rogoff. Throughout, they examine how these intersecting relationships may have influenced the Senate vote and broader efforts to block the Epstein files’ release, raising critical questions about transparency and the reach of elite networks.

Key Discussion Points

1. How the Story Broke [00:02–01:50]

• Tara shares the surge of interest in her investigation published on The Red Letter newsletter.
• Abby Baker explains the genesis:
  • The story kicked off thanks to victim and survivor Marika Chartuni, who, "just because, you know, she and other victims have been...let down...by the DOJ, by Trump, by Congress," conducted her own digging and inspired the deeper investigation. (01:54)

2. Mapping the Connections: Murkowski & Maxwell’s Inner Circle [01:50–09:42]

• Initial Connection (2009):

  • Murkowski and Scott Borgerson (Maxwell’s future husband) met while testifying at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing regarding the Law of the Sea Treaty, an issue vital to Alaska's interests.
  • Borgerson, a rising figure in Arctic maritime circles, shared overlapping business interests with Murkowski.
  • Tara notes, “They obviously clearly knew each other very well...they both stood to profit from these Arctic shipping routes.” (04:53)
  • Continued contact: They both appeared at Arctic-centered events (Arctic Imperative Summit, Council on Foreign Relations), including a notable 2016 panel, years after Maxwell’s Epstein ties were widely publicized.
  • Maxwell’s introduction to Borgerson and to Murkowski allegedly occurred via these elite Arctic events.

• Ghislaine Maxwell’s Reputation Rehab:

  • After public scandal and legal battles, Maxwell used her “TerraMar” foundation focused on the Arctic to "launder her name" and maintain access to elite circles. (06:06)

• Alice Rogoff’s Role:

  • Described by Abby as “the ringleader of these Arctic events...a very rich lady...close with Senator Murkowski.”
  • Rogoff—founder of the Arctic conferences and owner of the Alaska Dispatch—acted as a powerbroker, donor, media owner, and connector for Maxwell, Borgerson, and Murkowski.
  • Rogoff endorsed Maxwell’s TerraMar in the Dispatch, despite public knowledge of Maxwell's allegations.

3. The Importance and Implications of Timing [09:42–11:18]

• Tara highlights that the connections continued well past the point when Maxwell’s and Epstein’s scandals had become public knowledge.
  • “...it was 2016, long after people knew about Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.” (05:11)
• The hosts observe that Maxwell was not hiding; she continued high-profile appearances and networking.

4. Official Response from Murkowski [11:18–12:00]

• Statement from Murkowski’s spokesperson, Joseph Plesha:
  • The Senator only met Maxwell “in passing...never spending meaningful time with her or having any substantial conversation...was completely unaware of her crimes or her association with Jeffrey Epstein...to suggest otherwise is simply false.” (11:44)

5. More Evidence of Elite Proximity and Endorsement [12:00–18:20]

• Maxwell, Borgerson, Murkowski, and Rogoff repeatedly appeared at the same events, spoke on the same stages, and traveled together (including a 2014 private jet trip to the Iditarod, as confirmed in public reporting).
• Abby: “You have to be close with someone...to invite them on a trip when you only have like six seats on your plane.” (17:02)
• Tara: “...that is exactly how these relationships to power...are able to really hold onto these relationships to power and how it’s so insidious…” (13:00)

6. The Fallout and Ongoing Cover-Up [18:20–22:59]

• The hosts point out the irony of Murkowski's public support for anti-sex trafficking bills while blocking file release.
  • “...Senator Murkowski has sponsored so many bills to help stop sex trafficking, and yet she won’t release the files. It’s just a weird dissonance...” (22:18)
• Pressure from survivors is mounting; much of the continued stonewalling, Tara argues, “rings hollow.”
• Discussion widens to the propensity of the powerful to continue associating with Epstein and Maxwell even after public revelations.
  • Tara: “How many people continue to hang out...with Jeffrey Epstein after he went to jail?...Why Bill Gates...Peter Thiel...Steve Bannon?” (20:34)
• The episode closes with a call for whistleblowers and journalists to keep pushing for transparency.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They both stood to profit from these Arctic shipping routes, and it’s an issue central to Murkowski’s constituencies.”
  —Tara Palmeri on why Murkowski and Borgerson’s interests aligned (05:47)

• “Her Terramar organization...trying to accomplish something so niche...which is why her being at these events makes a lot of sense and also why this connection to Senator Murkowski is, although still surprising, not as surprising because she’s the senator for Alaska.”
  —Abby Baker (07:46)

• “Alice Rogoff...coming at it in three different ways. She had a lot of clout in Alaska. Some could argue she might have been even more powerful than Lisa Murkowski herself.”
  —Tara Palmeri (10:39)

• “You have to be close with someone, close enough at least to invite them on a trip when you only have like six seats on your plane.”
  —Abby Baker on Rogoff and Maxwell’s private plane trip (17:02)

• “It’s a small plane.”
  —Tara Palmeri’s dry aside reinforcing the exclusivity of these associations (17:23)

• “Why didn’t Lisa Murkowski say before she took that vote, I know Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband. I’ve been on the stage with him at least five times. I know...Alice Rogoff is a prominent donor...”
  —Tara Palmeri, on transparency obligations (14:05)

• “Over and over again, these men and women in power...just thinking, why not spend time with a sex offender?”
  —Tara Palmeri on elite disregard for Epstein’s conviction (20:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• How the story broke: 00:02–01:50
• Mapping connections (Murkowski, Maxwell, Borgerson): 01:50–07:46
• Alice Rogoff’s role: 07:46–09:42
• Public scandal timeline and elite endorsement: 09:42–11:18
• Murkowski’s official response: 11:18–12:00
• Shared appearances, travel & events: 12:00–18:20
• Elite circles & power dynamics: 13:20–18:20
• Survivor advocacy and continued resistance: 18:20–20:34
• The wider web of elite impunity: 20:34–22:59

Conclusion

Tara Palmeri and Abby Baker unspool a tangled web of connections tying political, business, and media elites in Alaska—centered around Senator Lisa Murkowski—to Ghislaine Maxwell and, by extension, Jeffrey Epstein. Their work highlights the insidious nature of social and financial networks, the persistence of power even in the wake of scandal, and the ongoing struggle for transparency. This episode leaves listeners with the chilling question: What more remains concealed, and will accountability ever prevail?

For ongoing coverage, Tara urges listeners to follow The Red Letter and submit tips to continue shining light on this tangled saga.