The Supreme Court has declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of her conviction for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s child trafficking operation.
For her role in helping Epstein and his powerful associates sexually abuse underage girls, Maxwell received a 20-year prison sentence.
The Supreme Court’s rejection of Maxwell’s appeal means her sentence remains intact.
Maxwell, 62, was convicted on three counts in 2021, including sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor.
Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, insisted after the ruling that “this fight isn’t over,” according to NBC News.
The Appeal
Markus argued that Epstein’s cushy 2007 non-prosecution agreement with the Southern District of Florida should have applied to at least one of Maxwell’s counts prosecuted in New York.
The plea deal shielded Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators from federal charges.
The Justice Department disagreed that the deal extends to Maxwell, urging the high court to reject the claim.
Prosecutors noted that Alex Acosta, then-U.S. attorney in Florida, would have needed higher-level authorization for the deal to extend outside his district.
No evidence shows that such authorization was ever obtained.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the Court that Maxwell’s argument was “incorrect” and that she failed to “show that it would succeed in any court of appeals,” The New York Times reported.
DOJ Interview
Maxwell has pursued multiple avenues to reduce her sentence, including appeals and outreach to President Donald Trump.
In July, just days after filing her Supreme Court petition, she sat for an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
Blanche, a former Trump attorney, questioned Maxwell extensively about Epstein and his associates.
During the interview, Maxwell maintained that she never saw any prominent Epstein associates, including Trump, engaged in misconduct.
“I actually never saw the president in any type of massage setting,” Maxwell said of Trump.
“I never witnessed the president in any inappropriate setting in any way.
“The president was never inappropriate with anybody.
“In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
The Trump Factor
Maxwell’s legal team has argued she has been scapegoated for Epstein’s crimes, even appealing directly to Trump.
In late July, Trump told reporters he had not been approached about a pardon for Maxwell.
“Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon, but nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it,” Trump said.
“I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”
One week after her DOJ interview, Maxwell was transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas.
READ MORE – Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: Epstein Was Blackmailing Powerful People
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.