There’s a heated debate happening on Capitol Hill about whether the Trump administration should disclose records tied to Jeffrey Epstein. In the midst of this turmoil, Ghislaine Maxwell’s family claims she “did not receive a fair trial.”
At 63, Maxwell was given a 20-year sentence in 2022 for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s abuses, a disturbing legacy following his death in a jail cell as he awaited trial on serious charges. Right now, she’s behind bars in Florida’s federal prison, and her team is pushing back, filing a petition with the Supreme Court urging them to overturn her conviction from 2021.
In a supportive statement from her siblings released on a site dedicated to her case, they highlighted that her attorneys would respond soon to the government’s objections at the Supreme Court.
This push for justice comes at a time when the political scene is buzzing about the release of documents connected to Epstein. David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s lawyer, expressed his surprise that President Trump might not be aware that his legal team is arguing for the Supreme Court to allow the government to break a previous deal, referring to a 2007 agreement with prosecutors in Florida.
“He’s a dealmaker at heart—surely he would agree that commitments made by the U.S. should be honored,” Markus commented. He further stated, “With discussions around who is and isn’t facing prosecution, it’s just wrong that Ghislaine Maxwell still sits in prison based on a broken promise from the government.”
Agreeing with him, Maxwell’s family claimed they “strongly concur” with Markus. They disclosed that her legal representatives might file a writ of habeas corpus at the U.S. District Court in New York, a legal move that might allow Maxwell to confront a judge about the validity of her imprisonment.
Requests for comments from the Department of Justice went unanswered. After previously pleading not guilty, Maxwell approached the Supreme Court in April, aiming to have her conviction dismissed. Her lawyers posited that Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement in 2008 prohibited further prosecution for Maxwell as a co-conspirator.
In their petition, they noted, “Despite an agreement explicitly stating the U.S. wouldn’t prosecute Epstein’s co-conspirators, Ghislaine Maxwell was adjudicated as such and prosecuted.”
Maxwell’s arguments were previously rejected by lower courts, and just this Monday, the DOJ recommended that the Supreme Court maintain the current ruling against her. According to them, the no-prosecution pact obtained back in Florida does not offer protection to Maxwell or other co-conspirators from prosecution anywhere else in the country, pointing out that she was tried on a distinct basis in Manhattan.
“The stipulations regarding co-conspirators in the NPA were confined to specific charges in Florida, and cannot be seen as offering sweeping protection beyond what Epstein faced there,” stated their briefing. “It creates a bizarre scenario if Epstein were vulnerable to federal scrutiny while his associates maintained immunity, which doesn’t hold logical sense.”
While Maxwell continues to seek justice against her New York conviction, internal conflicts in the Republican party have erupted over these thrilling debates regarding any potential release of information about Epstein. Epstein’s case ultimately concluded with his death in a New York City jail back in 2019, marked officially as a suicide by medical authorities.
This death and Epstein’s links to many high-profile individuals have stoked countless conspiracy theories, prompting persistent calls for transparency on the government’s insight into the matter. Trump stoked fires himself during his past campaign, stating he would have “no problem” investigating Epstein’s possible connections.
Last week, the Department of Justice ruled against releasing what are known as the “Epstein files.”
AG Pam Bondi countered any suggestions of a “client list” involving notable figures allegedly connected to Epstein’s crimes, asserting, “No verified evidence revealed that Epstein blackmailed influential individuals.”
This assertion sparked significant backlash from GOP lawmakers and right-wing media, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Some contend that Bondi had previously implied she possessed a “client list” in her workspace.
Speaker Mike Johnson expressed in an interview with Benny Johnson that Bondi should clarify her stance on the matter.
Calls for Maxwell to testify before Congress have spread among Republicans, an idea supported by Johnson who stated, “I’m all for transparency. We must unveil everything and let citizens decide.”
Meanwhile, Trump has pushed back against Republican reactions and recently downplayed the allure of the missing documents. On Wednesday, he labeled the debates about them a “scam” and a “pullback.” (Although he once knew Epstein, the two fell out, and there’s no evidence linking Trump to Epstein’s illicit activities.)
He also proclaimed on Truth Social, “In just six months, I’ve achieved what probably no U.S. President has in history—all they want to talk about, egged on by the Fake News and desperate Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax.”
“Let these spineless individuals carry on, assisting the Democrats’ work, while ignoring our stunning achievements because I don’t desire their support any longer!”
This article initially appeared on NBCNews.com
