The US Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass a resolution declaring its firm opposition to any presidential pardon or clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction for sex-trafficking crimes involving the abuse of minors.
Introduced by Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, the resolution explicitly states that Maxwell should not be granted executive relief for her crimes related to the sexual exploitation of children. Although the measure is symbolic and non-binding, Senator Rosen emphasized that it serves as a necessary formal record to oppose any potential move by the White House to grant clemency. During a floor speech on Wednesday, Rosen characterized the possibility of a pardon for a convicted sex trafficker as “horrifying.”
The Senate action coincided with the body's deliberation over the nomination of acting attorney general Todd Blanche. Rosen noted that the unanimous vote was intended to send a clear message to both the White House and Blanche that there should be no special treatment afforded to Maxwell. Republicans in the Senate joined in the unanimous decision, agreeing that granting any form of executive clemency to Maxwell would be inconsistent with the interests of justice and the protection of children.
Maxwell has already exhausted her legal appeals, including a petition to the US supreme court that was declined last October. Earlier this year in February, she appeared via video for a congressional deposition before the House committee on oversight and government reform but invoked her Fifth Amendment right, with her attorney stating she would only testify if granted clemency. Reports from April indicated that members of that committee were divided over whether her potential cooperation in the ongoing Epstein investigation might warrant a pardon, a prospect that has drawn intense criticism from survivors of Epstein’s abuse.
During a hearing in May, Todd Blanche testified to lawmakers that he would not recommend a pardon for Maxwell. He also addressed questions regarding his interview with her last summer and her subsequent transfer from a Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas, asserting that he did not know if she was receiving preferential treatment and denying that he was sent by the President to interview her. To date, representatives for Maxwell have not provided a comment on the Senate's resolution.
“You know, I haven’t heard the name in so long” he said at the time. “I can say this: that I’d have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look.”
He added: “I wouldn’t consider it or not consider – I don’t know anything about it. I will speak to the DoJ.”
