Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction, arguing that a 2007 plea deal negotiated by Epstein should have protected her from prosecution.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for sex trafficking and related crimes. Her legal team submitted a request to the Supreme Court on Monday, contending that the federal plea agreement in Florida barred charges against any potential co-conspirators, even though Maxwell was not explicitly named. They argue the protection extended to her.
The filing comes days after Maxwell met with justice department officials, sparking speculation that she might cooperate with prosecutors. Observers suggest she could reveal new information about Epstein’s sex trafficking network and wealthy individuals involved, though it is unclear what she might receive in return.
The Justice Department has previously argued that the Florida deal did not apply to other federal districts, including the Southern District of New York, where Maxwell was tried. The plea deal’s architect, Alexander Acosta, later resigned as US Secretary of Labour amid scrutiny. Meanwhile, a recent Justice Department memo stated it found no evidence of a ‘client list’, and Trump’s name has appeared in Epstein-related files.
