The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her sex trafficking conviction, leaving her 20-year prison sentence in place unless she is granted a presidential pardon.
The court declined to hear the case without providing an explanation. Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, told the BBC that her legal team was “deeply disappointed” by the decision but vowed to continue pursuing other legal options “to ensure that justice is done.”
Maxwell, a former British socialite, was convicted in 2021 for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls some as young as 14 for financier Jeffrey Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004. Epstein died in prison in 2019.
Family members of Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre welcomed the court’s decision, saying they were grateful her conviction remains intact and remain committed to ensuring she serves her full sentence.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the ruling.
Earlier this year, Maxwell was interviewed by US federal agents as part of an ongoing investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking network and whether others were involved. During the July interviews, she denied witnessing any inappropriate conduct by former President Donald Trump during his encounters with Epstein.
Speculation over a potential pardon for Maxwell has circulated in political circles, but the White House has repeatedly dismissed the notion. “It’s not something I’ve heard discussed,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, adding that as a general rule, “we don’t comment on clemency requests.”
The Epstein case files, including grand jury testimony, have become a source of political tension as calls grow for their release.
Following her interview with Justice Department officials, Maxwell was transferred to FPC Bryan, a minimum security prison in Texas about 100 miles (160 km) from Austin.
In a joint statement, Giuffre’s family members Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson criticised Maxwell’s current placement, saying they “remain hopeful that the DOJ will realise that she belongs in a maximum security prison, not the country club one she is currently in.”
