General Discussion

I would say that a lot of what this ilk does would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt meets the legal standard of blackmail. But it fits a common sense understanding of how people at these levels communicate messages that influence others' thinking and behaviors.

The brother wants his sister released. He communicates that in the tongue he learned growing up in the Maxwell family. In a very real sense, it is the brother talking to the felon-in-chief in the language he understands. Hence, immediately after the WSJ story broke, the felon sent his lawyer to negotiate with her. If the felon fails to take action, more material will be released. Perhaps it arrives in drips, perhaps a tidal wave.

They are not nice people. They are the product of the overlap between intelligence and organized crime.