Justice Department officials interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, in Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday. Senators used a similar approach in the past to overcome a stalemate on judicial nominations.

According to a person familiar with the matter, Justice Department officials are set to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned girlfriend of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

The meeting comes as the White House seeks to tamp down the growing controversy over its decision not to release sex trafficking investigative files.