The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, the associate of Jeffrey Epstein, against her conviction for sex-trafficking. The decision effectively ends Maxwell's legal efforts to overturn the 2021 conviction.
Maxwell, 63, was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking and related crimes. Her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, expressed deep disappointment but said they would continue to pursue other avenues. The only remaining option for early release is presidential clemency.
Maxwell's appeal centred on a 2008 non-prosecution agreement between Epstein and Florida prosecutors, which she argued also protected her. However, the New York-based Second US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the agreement did not bind prosecutors in New York, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court without comment.
The ruling leaves Maxwell as the sole person convicted in connection with Epstein's two-decade sex-trafficking operation. The FBI and Justice Department have stated that no further disclosures are warranted, despite political pressure for accountability. Donald Trump has suggested he has the power to pardon Maxwell but has not acted on it.
The case continues to reverberate politically. In September, Peter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the US, was recalled after leaked emails revealed his friendship with Epstein persisted after the financier's guilty plea.
