The top Republican on a House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein has revealed that some GOP members are open to President Donald Trump pardoning convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation with the probe. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have reacted with strong opposition.
Democratic Opposition
“She is a sexual abuser who facilitated the rape of women and children. This is a shameful way to treat survivors,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. “Oversight Democrats are united in opposing any pardon.” Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw added, “Hell no. Honestly shocking that this is even being discussed.”
Republican Divisions
Committee chair James Comer stressed that he opposes the idea but told Politico that “a lot of people” on the panel would consider supporting Trump’s potential pardon in exchange for her testimony. “My committee’s split on that,” Comer said. “I don’t speak for my committee.” He declined to name which members were open to the idea, adding, “I think it looks bad. Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell.”
Maxwell’s Legal Situation
Maxwell, the only convicted accomplice in the Epstein investigation to have spoken to the committee, invoked her Fifth Amendment right during her deposition in February. Her lawyer has stated that she would only cooperate if Trump granted clemency. The president has not ruled out doing so. The 63-year-old is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of recruiting and grooming young women and girls for Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. Her release is not scheduled until 2040, making a presidential pardon her best chance for early release.
Appeals and New Claims
In October, the Supreme Court declined to review her case. Maxwell has since filed a new petition for release, claiming “substantial new evidence has emerged.” She submitted the request on a USB drive mailed in a FedEx envelope. Federal prosecutors have described the claims as “equally meritless.”
Political Context
After a jailhouse interview in July 2025 with then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Maxwell was transferred to a minimum-security prison in Texas. In that interview, she praised Trump and said she “absolutely never” saw him behave inappropriately. She has refused to testify without assurances of clemency. Her legal team has offered her testimony in exchange for immunity or a pardon. The Trump administration has sought to reduce scrutiny of the Epstein case, with Blanche stating that the release of millions of files “should not be part of anything going forward.”
