Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has filed a new petition to overturn her 2021 conviction and 20-year prison sentence, arguing that recently released documents from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein contain evidence that vindicates her. Maxwell, who is now representing herself, submitted a 60-page filing on a USB drive mailed from prison, which was unsealed on Wednesday night.
In her petition, Maxwell claims the newly disclosed materials render her conviction “invalid, unsafe and infirm.” She argues that the evidence, released through a statutory transparency process, was not available during her trial or appeals. The 64-year-old was found guilty of recruiting and grooming young women and girls for Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The Department of Justice has strongly opposed the motion, filing a 101-page response urging a judge to dismiss what it calls “factually incorrect and legally baseless arguments.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz wrote that Maxwell’s claims are “unmoored from law, logic, or the record,” and that her victims “deserve finality.” The government argues that Maxwell’s arguments fail to establish any prejudice and rely on mischaracterizations of the record.
Maxwell is the only person charged in Epstein’s trafficking conspiracy besides Epstein himself. She is not scheduled for release until 2040, and her best chance of early release is a presidential pardon. Her attorney, David Markus, has previously said she would welcome one, and Donald Trump has acknowledged he has the power to grant it. Last year, Trump signed a measure compelling the release of Epstein investigation materials, and then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell as part of revived investigations.
