WASHINGTON (TNND) — Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted of sex trafficking, is pushing to have her 20-year sentence tossed or reduced through appeals to the Supreme Court that comes amid meetings with the Department of Justice following a political firestorm over the Trump administration’s handling of information about the government’s investigation into Epstein.
The latest development in the winding case was a direct appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction over claims that she was covered by an agreement Epstein made with prosecutors that protected her from prosecution.
The Justice Department has pushed back against Maxwell’s claim, saying that the plea agreement only applied to potential prosecutions in the South Florida district and did not extend to New York, where she was indicted. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of working with Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls.
“The government’s argument, across the board, is essentially an appeal to what it wishes the agreement had said, rather than what it actually says,” her attorneys wrote in a brief to the Supreme Court. “Of course, if wishful thinking were the standard, the whole NPA would have been thrown out long ago.”
Maxwell attorney David Markus said in a statement the government violated its word by prosecuting her.
“Our government made a deal, and it must honor it,” Markus said. “The United States cannot promise immunity with one hand in Florida and prosecute with the other in New York. President Trump built his legacy in part on the power of a deal — and surely he would agree that when the United States gives its word, it must stand by it.”
Markus also made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump, who has not ruled out granting Maxwell a pardon or clemency.
“We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the President himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted.”
It is not the first time Maxwell’s attorneys have tried to have her conviction overturned, but it comes as the Trump administration is facing intense political blowback for its handling of the so-called Epstein files and after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the second-highest ranking DOJ official, spent two days interviewing Maxwell in Florida.
Markus said after the meeting that Maxwell did not make any deals before speaking with Blanche but would “welcome any relief” in her case.
Trump, who has been unable to contain mounting political pushback from Congress and his base over his administration’s handling of the Epstein files, left the door open for a potential pardon during his trip to Scotland on Monday.
“Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon but nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it,” Trump told reporters when asked about the possibility. “It’s in the news about that — that aspect of it, but right now it would be inappropriate to talk about it.”
His comments were similar to remarks he made on Friday that have spurred some concerns that he may be willing to grant her some form of clemency in exchange for more information about Epstein or people involved in his sex trafficking scheme.
“It’s something I haven’t thought about,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for Scotland. “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about,” he said.
Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s former lawyer, told the National News Desk Maxwell should consider striking a deal.
“Very rarely is the word of the inmate or the defendant believed without corroboration. But if she can provide corroboration in the form of travel records or other records, that would be golden,” Dershowitz said.
But there are also questions about the value of any information Maxwell may provide to the Justice Department in their interviews. Maxwell already has a perjury conviction and was described by the DOJ during Trump’s first term as having “willingness to brazenly lie under oath about her conduct.”
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have raised those concerns in a letter to the department asking for transcripts, recordings and notes from Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell that also questioned why the DOJ’s No. 2 official conducted it rather than prosecutors who were familiar with the case.
“In light of troves of corroborating evidence collected through multiple investigations, a federal jury conviction, and Ms. Maxwell’s history and willingness to lie under oath, as it relates to her dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, why would DOJ depart from long-standing precedent and now seek her cooperation?” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wrote.
Democrats have questioned whether the Trump administration would offer her some type of deal to exonerate the president’s connections to Epstein. Trump is known to have socialized with Epstein and his name was included in some of the investigative files, though he has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case.
Republicans have mostly dodged questions about a potential pardon for Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation, noting only that Trump has the authority to do so. But they have also offered some pushback to the idea that would likely come with political consequences as accusations about a cover-up continue to swirl.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he was wary of giving Maxwell a pardon.
“I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to put into words how evil this was. And that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing. So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that as any reasonable person would.
Speculations about a potential pardon for Maxwell also come as Republican leadership in Congress is struggling to hold intensifying desire among some of its caucus to advance their own probes into Epstein and Maxwell. The House went into its August recess early to avoid Republicans being forced into politically difficult votes on releasing more Epstein documents by Democrats that have been pushing the issue.
While Democrats have been leading the charge in trying to congressionally mandate the administration into releasing more documents, some Republicans have also backed the effort. The House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas for a deposition with Maxwell along with documents that include high-profile figures like former President Bill Clinton.
Markus said on Tuesday that his client would not testify before the committee without being granted immunity, saying her testimony could derail her appeal efforts. The committee has already rejected her request, making it unclear whether she will appear before it.
