But asked why Maxwell was moved to a “cushier prison” following the two-day interview, Aidala said he could “talk in generalities.”

“When anybody who’s represented by a lawyer who knows what they’re doing goes in and meets with the government, there’s always a quid pro quo,” he said. “You don’t just take your client in and say, ‘Let me talk to you about something.’ They wanted information from—hypothetically, anytime the government wants information from a citizen, the citizen says, ‘Well, I have a right to remain silent. If you want me to give up that right, I need something in return.’” Usually, the exchange results in a plea bargain, he continued, before interrupting himself to ask another panelist, former Biden adviser Neera Tanden, why she was laughing.