A whistleblower who accused federal prison officials of giving Ghislaine Maxwell special treatment says her actions had nothing to do with politics. Instead, she says she spoke up because she believed inmates deserved fairness and accountability.
Noella Turnage, a nurse who worked at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas from 2019 until last week, told NBC News she came forward because “this was about common human decency and doing what’s right for all inmates.” She added that when one inmate is retaliated against while another is protected due to influence, “somebody had to say something.”
Maxwell, convicted of recruiting minors for Jeffrey Epstein, was transferred to the minimum-security women’s camp in early August. Her time there has drawn scrutiny as Democrats and some Republicans push for the full release of all investigative files tied to the Epstein case.
Turnage said she did not act out of anger toward Epstein, Maxwell, or any public figure. Instead, she said she felt “failed by the institution” after repeated reports of leadership misconduct and retaliation went unaddressed.
Turnage said she was fired on November 10, one day after Rep. Jamie Raskin notified President Donald Trump that the House Judiciary Committee had received information from a “whistleblower” alleging that Maxwell was preparing a “commutation application” and receiving privileges beyond what other inmates receive. That information included emails Maxwell wrote during her early months at the prison.
Maxwell’s attorney, Leah Saffian, said employees were fired because they had accessed the Bureau of Prisons email system improperly. NBC News reviewed Maxwell’s emails, which showed she was “happier” at Bryan, praising the cleaner environment and friendly staff. Other correspondence suggested she had unusual access to Warden Tanisha Hall and could request help arranging visits or communicating with lawyers.
Attorneys familiar with federal prison procedures said such access is not typical. The Bureau of Prisons and Hall did not respond to questions about staff terminations linked to the emails.
A spokesperson for House Judiciary Democrats said the committee would continue supporting government workers who report retaliation. “Trump’s Bureau of Prisons appears to have wrongfully fired an individual for blowing the whistle to Congress on the grotesque pampering of convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell,” the spokesperson said. “Retaliating against whistleblowers is a violation of federal law.”
Turnage and former Bryan employee Ashley Anderson both spoke with committee staff about alleged policy violations and retaliation at the prison. Anderson, terminated in August after ten years at Bryan, said she tried to speak up for inmates but found “flaws in a system that often lacks transparency, accountability, and fairness.”
Saffian called the release of Maxwell’s emails improper and denied any pardon request. She plans to challenge Maxwell’s 20-year sentence with a habeas petition. Maxwell’s transfer occurred days after a July meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, during which she said she never witnessed inappropriate conduct by Trump or others in Epstein’s circle.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and initially supported releasing Epstein-related records before clashing with lawmakers. Last week, after thousands of Epstein-related emails were released, Trump changed course again and urged Republicans to release the Epstein files “because we have nothing to hide.”
Turnage and Anderson said their decision to speak out was not about shifting political narratives. “This was about truth, and nothing else,” they said. “It was about telling the truth about how both staff and inmates were treated.”