Ghislaine Maxwell has petitioned the US Supreme Court docket to overturn her 2021 intercourse trafficking conviction, arguing {that a} non-prosecution settlement Jeffrey Epstein struck with federal authorities ought to have protected her from felony fees.
“This case is about what the federal government promised, not what Epstein did,” her attorneys wrote in a newly filed transient, as reported by Axios.
Maxwell, who was sentenced to twenty years in jail for grooming and abusing underage ladies alongside Epstein, contends that the plea settlement reached between Epstein and the federal government in 2008 prolonged immunity to his alleged co-conspirators.
Enchantment to Trump
Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, appealed not simply to the court docket however on to President Donald Trump, invoking his well-known emphasis on “offers.”
“President Trump constructed his legacy partly on the ability of a deal—and absolutely he would agree that when the US offers its phrase, it should stand by it,” Markus stated. “We’re interesting not solely to the Supreme Court docket however to the President himself to acknowledge how profoundly unjust it’s to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s crimes, particularly when the federal government promised she wouldn’t be prosecuted.”
Trump on pardon: ‘No person’s requested me’
When asked by reporters if he would consider issuing a pardon for Maxwell, Trump replied: “No person’s approached me with it. No person’s requested me about it. It’s within the information about that side of it, however proper now, it could be inappropriate to speak about it.”
Trump has previously said he has the authority to problem such a pardon, with out committing both approach.
Conferences with DOJ spark political firestorm
Maxwell recently held closed-door meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on July 24 and 25. The character of these discussions has not been disclosed within the Supreme Court docket submitting, however the conferences have triggered sharp criticism from Democrats.
Senators Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse have demanded the Division of Justice launch transcripts and recordings of the conferences, warning that Maxwell would possibly manipulate the state of affairs in trade for leniency.
Democrats: Launch the Epstein Information
In a letter to Blanche, the senators stated: “Given her documented file of mendacity and her want to safe early launch, there are critical issues that Ms. Maxwell could present false info or selectively withhold info, in return for a pardon or sentence commutation.”
Additionally they criticised the DOJ for not fulfilling former Lawyer Common Pam Bondi’s promise to make the “full Epstein recordsdata” public.
DOJ faces mounting stress
Pam Bondi is underneath rising criticism for an absence of transparency relating to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Critics have accused her of withholding key info since Epstein’s 2019 demise, formally dominated a suicide. On July 18, Bondi petitioned the court docket to launch grand jury materials tied to the case, nevertheless it was rejected.
Political danger for Trump
The Epstein saga is as soon as once more stirring political bother for President Trump. His administration beforehand teased “bombshell revelations” however later closed the matter — a transfer that pissed off each supporters and critics. Trump’s base continues to demand the discharge of Epstein’s alleged client list, which Bondi has denied exists.
Lingering doubts over Epstein’s demise
Epstein’s 2019 demise in a New York jail, whereas dealing with intercourse trafficking fees, stays surrounded by controversy. The DOJ reaffirmed the suicide ruling and “no purchasers exist” in a July 7 memo, however skepticism persists amongst lawmakers.
