Trump has not considered clemency for Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
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A 2020 photo showing the announcement of charges against Ghislaine Maxwell, pictured (left) with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
- Trump says he hasn't considered pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein's sex abuse, though her lawyer says she'd welcome relief.
- Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence, completed a second interview with DOJ about the Epstein case; her lawyer says she answered truthfully.
- Trump faces pressure to release more information on Epstein; he denies involvement and suggests other high-profile figures should be scrutinised.
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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said on July 25 he has not considered granting a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, the long-time associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, even as her attorney indicated she would “welcome any relief”.
Mr Trump’s remarks came as the White House is facing a political furore over Epstein’s case and renewed questions over his past relationship with the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.
“It’s something I haven’t thought about,” Mr Trump told reporters, when asked about the possibility of a pardon for Maxwell.
“I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, after being found guilty in 2021 of helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. She is currently appealing her sentence.
Maxwell completed a second day of interviews with US Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche in Tallahassee, Florida, on July 25 after the US Justice Department contacted her lawyers to see if she had additional information about the case.
Mr David Markus, a lawyer for Maxwell, told reporters she answered questions truthfully, but declined to detail what was discussed.
“The truth will come out about what happened with Mr Epstein and she’s the person who’s answering those questions,” Mr Markus said.
Mr Markus said Maxwell has not asked for anything from the US government in exchange for her testimony and has not held discussions about a pardon. But he added that Maxwell would “welcome any relief”, deploring her treatment in federal prison.
The role of Mr Blanche, the second-highest ranking official at the US Justice Department and a former personal lawyer to Mr Trump, was unusual. Senior officials typically do not personally conduct investigative interviews.
More information
Mr Trump has been under growing pressure from his supporters and political opponents to release more information about the US Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein, the disgraced financier who officials ruled died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
After US Attorney-General Pam Bondi earlier in 2025 promised to release additional materials related to possible Epstein clients and the circumstances surrounding his death, the US Justice Department reversed course in July and issued a memo concluding there was no basis to continue investigating and no evidence of a client list.
Those findings sparked an angry outcry
Asked about the meeting between Mr Blanche and Maxwell, Mr Trump said on July 25 he was not aware of the details, only that it was taking place.
He then pivoted to other claims, suggesting other high-profile figures should face scrutiny over their ties to Epstein.
“They don’t talk about them. They talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump appeared with Epstein at social events in the 1990s and early 2000s. Mr Trump’s name, along with many other high-profile individuals, appeared multiple times on flight logs for Epstein’s private plane in the 1990s.
Mr Trump has denied ever being on the plane and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. REUTERS
