Why Ghislaine Maxwell is suddenly at the center of the Epstein case
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Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump pictured at a 1997 event in New York. (Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
A central figure in the Jeffrey Epstein saga is back in the limelight again — his once-girlfriend and associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The big picture: As the Trump administration faces weeks of bipartisan backlash over its handling of the Epstein files, many see Maxwell as a potential source of information on the disgraced financier. At the same time, Maxwell has been seeking to overturn her conviction.
- President Trump has denied the recent Epstein saga as a "hoax," adding on Monday that he previously turned down a visit to Epstein's private island.
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Monday.
Context: Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison after she was found guilty on multiple counts of conspiring to sex traffic minors.
- Maxwell's team has denied that she abused anyone and said she was the scapegoat for Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. Prosecutors have rejected the claim.
Ghislaine Maxwell and the Supreme Court
The latest: On Monday, Maxwell appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction on the grounds that she was "unlawfully prosecuted" for sex trafficking minors with Epstein.
- The appeal centers around a plea agreement from 2007 that Epstein negotiated with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida. Maxwell's attorneys and prosecutors are arguing who the agreement could protect.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump and the DOJ interviews
Flashback: Maxwell resurfaced in headlines this month after the Wall Street Journal reported that there's a "bawdy" birthday letter with Trump's name in a book that Maxwell helped put together for Epstein in 2003. Trump denied the reports and sued the WSJ.
- The Journal's report came as Trump struggles to quell fury from his supporters over his administration's conclusions that there is no Epstein's "client list," and that he died by suicide.
Details: Since then, there's been a bipartisan push for the release of all documents related to the Epstein case. House Republicans stalled any major moves, and Congress went on recess early amid the tension over the Epstein files.
- Last Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Maxwell to testify for a deposition on August 11.
However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week that he met with Maxwell, who was granted "limited" immunity by the DOJ to answer questions about the child sex trafficking case, according to multiple reports.
- The two reportedly spoke for hours, and Maxwell was asked about "maybe 100 different people," her attorney, David Oscar Markus, told reporters. Maxwell answered all questions posed by investigators, he said.
- Markus did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Will Trump pardon Ghislaine Maxwell?
What's next: Maxwell isn't just seeking help from the Supreme Court, but also from the Trump administration.
- "We haven't spoken to the president or anybody about a pardon just yet," Markus told reporters last week. "The president this morning said he had the power to do so. We hope he exercises that power in the right and just way."
Trump has not ruled out a pardon for Maxwell. On Friday, he said he has the power do it "but it's something I have not thought about."
- "I'm allowed to give her a pardon but nobody's approached me with it, nobody's asked me about it," Trump said on Monday. "It's in the news about that — that aspect of it, but right now it would be inappropriate to talk about it."
The bottom line: Maxwell continues to be at the center of the ongoing Epstein saga. What happens next for her regarding her prison sentence remains unclear.
