Supreme Court rejects Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal

• While Trump administration faced bipartisan backlash after reneging on promises to release all files related to the now-deceased sex trafficker, Maxwell appealed both to the Supreme Court and President Trump.
• The president said in late July he hasn't considered — but won't rule out — a pardon for his former Palm Beach associate.

Driving the news: The court, on the first day of its new term, declined to take up the case.

• They provided no explanation, as is custom.

What they're saying: "We're, of course, deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's case," David Oscar Markus, Maxwell's attorney, said in a statement provided to Axios. "But this fight isn't over."

• "Serious legal and factual issues remain," he said, "and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done."

The family of the late Virginia Giuffre applauded the high court's decision.

• "We are committed to ensuring that convicted child sex trafficker Maxwell serves out the entirety of her 20-year sentence in prison, where she belongs," they said in a statement.
• Survivor Jess Michaels described the Supreme Court's rejection as a "desperately needed reminder that convicted pedophile sex traffickers belong behind bars" in a statement provided to Axios.
• "Given the current political climate, I'm pleasantly surprised to see the safety of children finally prioritized over protection of powerful abusers," she added.

Catch up quick: Maxwell's appeal to the high court revolved around a highly controversial 2007 non-prosecution agreement Epstein negotiated with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida.

• The agreement stated that the U.S. "agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to" four other suspects.
• Maxwell was not listed as one of those suspects but her lawyers argued she didn't need to be.
• The Justice Department, meanwhile, argued that the former U.S. Attorney who negotiated the deal didn't have authority to bind other federal districts — including the Southern District of New York, where Maxwell was ultimately tried and convicted.

Zoom out: Bipartisan scrutiny over the Trump administration's handling of the disgraced financier's case — and his ties to Epstein — pulled Maxwell back into the national spotlight earlier this year.

• In July, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell across two days of interviews. Maxwell, according to transcripts released the following month by the DOJ, told him she "never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way."
• She also said she didn't believe Epstein died by suicide, as the FBI and DOJ concluded.

Friction point: Soon after her meeting with Blanche, Maxwell was moved to a minimum-security prison for women in Texas, sparking outrage from victims and their families.

• In their statement shared Monday, Giuffre's family said they "remain hopeful that the DOJ will realize" that Maxwell "belongs in a maximum security prison, not the country club one she is currently in."

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

More from Axios:

• Ghislaine Maxwell files Supreme Court brief appealing Epstein conviction
• Deputy attorney general meets with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
• What are the Epstein files? All you need to know

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Virginia Giuffre's family and a statement from survivor Jess Michaels.