The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal of her sex trafficking conviction for recruiting and grooming young girls for Jeffrey Epstein.
"We're, of course, deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court denied to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's case," attorney David Oscar Markus told Scripps News. "But this fight isn't over. Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done."
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Maxwell was convicted in 2022 on federal sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Earlier this year, however, the British socialite asked the Supreme Court to overturn that conviction, arguing that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement with Epstein should have shielded her from federal charges.
Her attorneys argued in court papers that the federal government violated its own agreement not to prosecute Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution as part of the deal, which Maxwell’s lawyers argue applied nationwide, not just in Florida.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
The family of Virginia Giuffre — one of Epstein and Maxwell's more prominent accusers — said in a statement they are "grateful" the Supreme Court denied Maxwell's appeal.
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"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," the statements reads. "We remain hopeful that the DOJ will realize that she belongs in maximum security prison, not the country club one she is currently in, the first human trafficker ever to have been afforded that privelege."
The Epstein case — and Maxwell's involvement — were thrust back into the spotlight this year amid growing demands from the public that the Department of Justice (DOJ) release a so-called "list" of Epstein associates. The DOJ ultimately released transcripts and audio recordings from an interview with Maxwell, in which she said the convicted sex offender did not keep a client list.
TODD BLANCHE: So there's been a lot of conversations about whether Mr. Epstein maintained, like, a list of people, like a book of famous people that he knew. Like a, it's called a black book or a client list or a list.Did you know of the existence of any such list?
GHISLAINE MAXWELL: There is no list. We'll start with that. The genesis of that story, I can actually trace for you from its absolute inception, if that is what you're interested in.
The interview, led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, were conducted on July 24 and July 25, under a proffer agreement that granted her limited immunity for truthful statements.
During the interview, Maxwell also addressed her finances and sought to clarify how she viewed her relationship with Epstein, saying she worked primarily as a “general manager” of his properties. She disputed allegations that Epstein paid her roughly $30 million to procure girls, calling the claim “categorically false.”
Click here for the full transcripts and audio records of the interview.
