Ghislaine Maxwell moved to federal prison in Texas
4 Min Read
Following the transfer, the family of Virginia Giuffre and several other accusers issued a joint statement condemning what they described as “preferential treatment” for Maxwell.
-
Ghislaine Maxwell attends a conference at the UN headquarters on June 25, 2013 (AP)
US authorities have transferred Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to a federal prison in Texas, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to RIA Novosti on Friday.
"We can confirm, Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Bryan, Texas," the spokesperson stated.
The move comes amid speculation that Maxwell may be granted clemency, rumors the White House has denied. CNN, citing a senior US official, reported Thursday that President Donald Trump is not considering a pardon for her.
Following the transfer, the family of Virginia Giuffre and several other accusers issued a joint statement condemning what they described as “preferential treatment” for Maxwell.
The families expressed "horror and outrage," detailing how, as a convicted "sex trafficker and predator," Maxwell "should never be shown any leniency. Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum security luxury prison in Texas. This is the justice system failing victims right before our eyes," the statement detailed.
The group also criticized the administration, warning that Maxwell’s recent transfer “smacks of a cover-up” and urged the public to question the integrity of the process.
Earlier this week, Trump acknowledged he has the authority to pardon Maxwell but said he has not been approached about doing so.
Ghislaine Maxwell seeks SCOTUS reversal of sex-trafficking conviction
Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking network, has formally appealed to the US Supreme Court, seeking to overturn her 2021 conviction. Her legal team argues that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement involving Epstein should have legally protected her from federal charges, an assertion that has resurfaced alongside a recent closed-door meeting between Maxwell and senior Justice Department officials in Florida.
According to attorney David Oscar Markus, who filed the petition, the government is violating a binding deal once made "on behalf of the United States." The petition contends that the Department of Justice, under political and public pressure, is attempting to sidestep a contractual obligation in order to scapegoat Maxwell for Epstein's crimes.
"This case presents a straightforward and important question about the government's obligation to honor its promises in plea and non-prosecution agreements," Markus argued in the filing. "Rather than grapple with the core principles of plea agreements, the government tries to distract by reciting a lurid and irrelevant account of Jeffrey Epstein's misconduct. But this case is about what the government promised, not what Epstein did."
Background: The Epstein-Maxwell case
Epstein, arrested in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges, was accused of exploiting dozens of underage girls between 2002 and 2005. He allegedly paid the victims in cash and coerced some into recruiting others, some as young as 14 years old. After being denied bail, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell weeks later in what was officially ruled a suicide.
Maxwell was arrested in 2020 and convicted two years later on charges including conspiracy to entice minors to travel for illegal sex acts and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Despite FBI claims this month that no "client list" or blackmail operation existed, public suspicion has persisted, fueled in part by Elon Musk's recent claims that Epstein files remain sealed because they implicate Trump.
As the legal and political fallout continues, Maxwell's case remains a lightning rod for debates about elite impunity, government accountability, and the enduring questions left unanswered in the Epstein scandal.
