Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted sex trafficker and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up her pending appeal and overturn her sex-trafficking conviction.
“This case is about what the government promised, not what Epstein did,” Maxwell’s lawyers told the justices in a new brief filed Monday, according to Axios reporting, claiming their client was covered by an agreement Epstein previously made with federal authorities that shielded her from prosecution.
“President Trump built his legacy in part on the power of a deal – and surely he would agree that when the United States gives its word, it must stand by it,” Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, said in a statement.
“We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the President himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted.”
Here's our statement about Ghislaine's Reply Brief that we filed in the Supreme Court today:
“No one is above the law—not even the Southern District of New York. Our government made a deal, and it must honor it. The United States cannot promise immunity with one hand in Florida… https://t.co/x6YlEyAQsb
— David Oscar Markus (@domarkus) July 28, 2025
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges that she helped Epstein sexually abuse underage girls and is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Tallahassee, Florida.
Epstein struck a deal with federal prosecutors in 2008 that shifted his case to Florida state court, where he pleaded guilty to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. Part of that agreement, Maxwell’s lawyers say, included a promise from the government that any of Epstein’s co-conspirators would not be charged.
At the core of Maxwell’s petition for Supreme Court review is her contention that the language of Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement (NPA) specifically limited his protection to the Southern District of Florida, whereas the language of the co-conspirator clause should have been read to prohibit her prosecution in any federal district.
The co-conspirator clause stated that if “Epstein successfully fulfills all of the terms and conditions of this agreement, the United States also agrees that it will not institute any criminal charges against any potential co-conspirators of Epstein, including but not limited to” four of Epstein’s assistants. Maxwell was not among the four women named.
Trump administration meets with jailed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had previously denied her appeal, but Maxwell argued that the circuit courts have issued disparate orders about what kind of immunity is granted through non-prosecutorial agreements, like the one Epstein received in 2007, and asked that her case be sent to the Supreme Court.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice urged the Supreme Court to turn away Maxwell’s appeal, arguing she should not be covered by the agreement.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he has not considered granting a pardon or commutation for Maxwell.
His comments came after a second day of interviews with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday, after the Justice Department reached out to her lawyers to see if she had additional information about the case.
Markus 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,” Markus said.
The interviews were part of an effort by the Trump administration to cast itself as transparent following fierce backlash from parts of Trump’s base over an earlier refusal to release additional records in the Epstein investigation.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation, despite promises that claimed otherwise from Attorney General Pam Bondi. The department also said an Epstein client list does not exist.
— with files from Reuters and The Associated Press