The US Supreme Court has declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal against her sex-trafficking conviction, effectively ending her legal challenge. Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking and related crimes.
The decision leaves Maxwell as the only person convicted in connection with Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. Her appeal centred on a 2008 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and Florida prosecutors, which she argued covered co-conspirators. However, the New York-based Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the agreement did not bind federal prosecutors in New York.
Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, expressed disappointment but said the fight would continue. The Supreme Court issued its decision without comment. Presidential clemency now remains Maxwell’s only option for early release.
The case has also drawn attention to Donald Trump, who has faced scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein. The White House has dismissed the Epstein case as a “hoax” and criticised calls for further disclosure. Meanwhile, Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, was recalled after leaked emails revealed his continued friendship with Epstein.
