Marion Mc Keone: Ghislaine Maxwell’s house of cards

The daughter of a controversial media mogul, Ghislaine Maxwell lived life at a rarefied level, mixing with some of the wealthiest and most influential people on earth. Now she stands accused of acting as the right-hand woman of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, in a trial that opens tomorrow in Manhattan

Ghislaine Maxwell with her lover Jeffrey Epstein: vivacious and supremely confident, Maxwell appeared to be the perfect foil for the socially awkward financier. Picture: Getty

Tomorrow, assuming the absence of a last-minute plea deal, what has been billed as the trial of the century will get under way at the Thurgood Marshall federal courthouse in lower Manhattan. Not since the trial of OJ Simpson has America been so electrified by a legal case that promises to allow the public a glimpse into the private lives of the rich, powerful and famous.

The allegations against Ghislaine Maxwell that will be heard ...