The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein.
The justices declined to take up her case as questions swirl about the Trump administration’s efforts to quiet conversation after not releasing files related to the sex offender Epstein as previously promised on the campaign trail.
In an order Monday, the first day of the Supreme Court’s new term, the justices refused to take up Maxwell’s case. The justices, as is typical, did not explain why they declined to take the case.
Maxwell was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offenses in 2021 in connection with Epstein. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Maxwell’s lawyers argue that she never should have been tried for her role in Epstein’s case. Her lawyers said a nonprosecution agreement reached in 2007 in Epstein’s case also protected his “potential co-conspirators” from federal charges, The Associated Press reported.
The refusal from the justices comes after months of back-and-forth over Maxwell and Epstein’s relationship. President Donald Trump said during his 2024 presidential campaign that he’d release files related to Epstein’s case, particularly as his 2019 suicide in jail sparked controversy.
In July, the Department of Justice and the FBI confirmed Epstein had killed himself and Attorney General Pam Bondi said the “client list” she previously had on her desk did not exist.
This came after Maxwell met with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as part of the government’s review of the Epstein case. On Aug. 1, Maxwell was moved from the low-security facility she was being held at in Tallahassee, Florida, to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas.
The mixed messages caused infighting among Republicans, with House GOP members looking to subpoena Maxwell, Trump supporters wanting to believe the theory of a government coverup, and the Trump administration looking to quiet the conversation.
However, it seems the Epstein headache for the administration is not going away. In September, a letter was released among other documents by the Epstein estate that included a sexually charged birthday letter to Epstein, allegedly signed by Trump.
Despite the frustration among the administration’s supporters, the DOJ said it did not have enough evidence to continue examining Epstein’s case.
When the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Maxwell in July, she said she would testify before Congress, but only if some of her key demands were met, including immunity. The committee said it would not consider granting her congressional immunity for her testimony.
Now, with the latest news from the Supreme Court in Maxwell’s case, her last hope for release from prison is in the hands of Trump.
In late July, the president was asked if he had considered a pardon for Maxwell, to which he said he had not considered it but also would not rule it out entirely.
Trump was asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Monday if he’d consider giving Maxwell a pardon. He said he hadn’t heard her name in “so long,” and that he’d “have to take a look at it.” Trump said he didn’t know Maxwell was seeking a pardon from him and he’d speak with the DOJ about her case to decide if he wanted to grant her the pardon.
“I’ll look at it,” Trump said. “I have a lot of people who have asked me for pardons.”
While Maxwell’s lawyers tell Axios the fight isn’t over, a pardon from Trump might be the only option for Maxwell to avoid serving the rest of her 20-year sentence.