Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband seen with another woman as his wife faces trial
The spouse of Ghislaine Maxwell has not attended her sex abuse trial, as friends and family of the disgraced heiress asked for anonymity if they testify.
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Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband, Scott Borgerson, had been intoxicated by the powerful connections the British heiress brought into his life.
But now, Borgerson, who secretly married Maxwell in 2016, has left her to face the glare of international incrimination alone — while he has been seen out and about in his exclusive coastal New England town in sports cars, often in the company of an attractive new female friend.
The New York Post reports that Borgerson’s new friend is Kris McGinn, a local writer, mother of two high school children and a yoga enthusiast who “has an a**e that could crack open a walnut” according to one local admirer in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.
Borgerson, 46, Maxwell’s much younger and enigmatic husband, apparently broke up his first marriage to be with the British jetsetter, captivated by the circles of power she made available to him, friends say.
But as lurid details unfold in a Manhattan courtroom of the international sex ring Maxwell, 59, allegedly ran with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Borgerson remains far away at the secluded $US3.9 million ($A5.44m) waterfront estate he once shared with the alleged madam.
Borgerson “apparently has more important things to do” than appear by her side in court, one Manchester-by-the-Sea neighbour told the New York Post.
The tech entrepreneur was seen visiting a local beer and wine shop on Friday morning, while Maxwell sat in court facing sensational accusations that she gave then 16-year-old Annie Farmer a nude massage at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch.
Manchester-by-the-Sea is an old-money enclave of 5400 people coveted by Boston’s elite for its scenic beaches and 400-year-old colonial charm. Local residents and photographers have seen Borgerson driving through the town with McGinn, 49, in his sleek black Tesla S model or trendy black Mini Cooper.
“He gives her a kissy kiss” every time they’re together, one observer noted. A source says the two have spent weekends together when McGinn didn’t have to watch her children and that she was “bubbling” about the relationship.
Most of their time appears to be spent trying to avoid the public eye, often at his isolated oceanfront manse that is protected from public view by an expanse of trees. He also keeps a $US1.2 million ($A1.67m) luxury condo in Boston’s chic Beacon Hill, where he’s been photographed walking his dog through the narrow streets.
While Borgerson lives in luxury, McGinn rents a home that is humble by Manchester standards on a quiet dead-end street. Sources say she is in the process of divorcing her husband, Wesley Straub. The couple lived in California before moving to Massachusetts around 2015, records indicate.
Husband Straub, a Boston-area native, lists his relationship status as “single” on social media.
“She’s well-connected and well-liked and popular on the mummy circuit,” a Manchester source said.
But Borgerson “doesn’t seem to have a lot of friends around right now. I haven’t seen him in a month,” the source added.
When reached by The Post this week, Borgerson answered the phone cheerfully, then quietly said “no” and hung up when a reporter began asking questions.
McGinn readily discussed food when the reporter called but she said, “I don’t think I’ll be answering any questions on that topic” when asked about her relationship with Borgerson.
Former Coast Guard officer Borgerson founded the shipping data company CargoMetrics after earning a Ph.D. in international relations from the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His company was valued at $US100 million in 2016, Business Insider reported.
He reportedly left the firm last year as pressure around Maxwell intensified, with allegations that she helped feed Epstein’s international sex stable of underage girls shared with a cabal of global elites.
Borgerson was apparently a newcomer to the world of international power inhabited by Maxwell. He grew up among humble roots in the small blue-collar community of Festus, Missouri, Business Insider reported. He was first seen with Maxwell during a reception in Iceland in 2013.
Borgerson was painted as a social climber “famous for name dropping,” a source told The Daily Beast. He bragged at one Manchester cocktail mixer that he and Maxwell enjoyed lunch with former US President Bill Clinton, “just the three of them”.
Both his personal profile and the success of CargoMetrics began to rise soon after meeting Maxwell.
“Borgerson’s life underwent a complete and dramatic transformation that opened doors to exclusive events hosted by the likes of Jeff Bezos.
Yet the couple appeared to hide their marriage, even among friends in their tight-knit Massachusetts community. The romantic nature of their pre-marriage relationship had also been kept a secret for years.
Even Maxwell’s siblings – who have staunchly defended her even while she sat in prison over the past year, and appeared with her in court this month – only learned of her marriage to Borgerson in 2020 when helping to prepare her $A30 million bail package.
“It’s the first time we knew they were married, when we heard the world ‘spouse’ mentioned in the bail hearing,” Ian Maxwell told The Post, adding that his sister and Borgerson secretly wed in 2016.
Borgerson was married to his first wife Rebecca Anne Piorunneck when he reportedly grew infatuated by Maxwell and her high-powered international lifestyle.
“Scott left his wife for Ghislaine around five years ago. It’s just egregious what’s happened to Rebecca,” a source told The Sun last month.
“Rebecca and Scott seemed like a really nice couple. But as time went on, he was very preoccupied and would be on his cellphone a lot, presumably on business calls. He was away a lot for work.”
Records show the two married in Florida in 2001 and divorced in Massachusetts in 2015. The couple had two children together, who lived at least part time with him and Maxwell at the Manchester estate.
After meeting Maxwell, Business Insider reported, “Borgerson’s first marriage, his longtime business partner, and other baggage of his earlier life were thrown overboard.”
It comes as the Daily Mail reported the friends and family of Maxwell asked to remain anonymous if they testify in her defence.
Maxwell, who could face an 80-year prison sentence if found guilty of six sex trafficking charges, stands accused of procuring women and underage girls for the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. She vehemently denies the charges.
Christian Everdell, a lawyer representing Maxwell, asked the court to allow some defence witnesses to withhold their real names, as they had requested, saying: “People who testify might get a lot of unwanted attention, especially if they are testifying on behalf of Ms Maxwell”.
A lawyer associated with the case said: “People’s lives have been destroyed by having their names linked to Ghislaine’s. She would support any move to protect those prepared to speak on her behalf. She is innocent and determined to prove it but is anxious no more lives and reputations are ruined.”
The defence is expected to last two or three days, which means the case could go to the jury before Christmas.
It has still not been decided if Maxwell will testify in her own defence.
— With the New York Post
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