The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s final appeal, firmly upholding her conviction and 20-year sentence for sex trafficking-related charges tied to the late Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse ring. The decision comes amid renewed controversy over Maxwell’s transfer from maximum security to a lower-security Texas prison, while President Donald Trump commented he would consult the Department of Justice before considering clemency for the disgraced socialite.
Maxwell, found guilty of conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to recruit, groom, and sexually abuse underage girls over a decade, argued that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement with Epstein should have also protected her. The high court agreed with lower rulings: the deal did not extend to federal prosecutors in New York, leaving Maxwell’s conviction intact.
After her conviction, Maxwell was initially held at a maximum-security facility in Florida but was quietly moved to Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, a minimum-security prison. These facilities are designed for inmates deemed a low-risk to public safety and typically lack high walls and barbed wire.
Neither the Federal Bureau of Prisons nor her attorneys has provided an official explanation for the transfer. The move came shortly after Maxwell held lengthy meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—an unusually high-ranking Justice Department official—reportedly to discuss information related to the Epstein case and its associates. This raised questions and increased scrutiny, as the Bureau of Prisons’ policy typically keeps sex offenders at least in low-security facilities and requires waivers for minimum-security placement in such cases.
When pressed on Monday about Maxwell’s clemency following the Supreme Court rejection, President Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “You know, I haven’t heard the name in so long. I can say this, that I’d have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look. Did they reject that?”
“Well, I’ll take a look at it. I’ll speak to the DOJ,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t consider it or not consider — I don’t know anything about it. I will speak to the DOJ.”
With the Supreme Court closing the door on appeals, Maxwell’s legal options have dwindled to near zero. Despite the political spectacle surrounding the possibility of clemency, the DOJ has not indicated any open review or discussions on a presidential pardon for Maxwell.
The House continues to debate and investigate the Jeffrey Epstein files, with significant partisan disputes and procedural delays complicating efforts to force full disclosure. The Oversight Committee has been receiving and releasing documents from the Epstein estate. These include Epstein’s personal correspondence, contacts, his will, and financial information, while separate legislative efforts are underway to require the Trump administration to release all government-held Epstein case files, including flight logs and DOJ records.
A bipartisan group led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is leading a discharge petition that would force a floor vote on legislation mandating the release of all Epstein-related files. This petition currently has 217 of the needed 218 signatures, with the final signature expected from Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) as soon as she is sworn in. Adelita Grijalva won her Arizona special election decisively and is expected to become the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress. However, her swearing-in has been delayed because House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has kept the House out of session.
Republicans claim that the new member will be sworn in when the House reconvenes, which is scheduled once a funding deal is reached. Critics say the timing is calculated to delay or block the discharge petition and keep the Epstein records from moving to a floor vote, with some lawmakers and advocates alleging it is part of a broader attempt to shield politically sensitive information.
