Ghislaine Maxwell is considering seeking a presidential pardon from her old pal Donald Trump.
Those close to the jailed British socialite believe their long friendship could help set her free. Maxwell got 20 years in June 2022 for grooming and trafficking underage girls for her former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein – who was also a friend of Trump.
The idea of a pardon was initially floated by a fellow inmate inside the Florida prison where she is being held but has since been embraced by her friends and family. “Given how many pardons Trump has issued in the weeks since being back in power, those in Ghislaine clique joked she should push for one,” a prison source said.
“They all know how close she once was to him. She tells people often enough. But what started out as a tongue-in-cheek comment has gained momentum, and now friends on the outside are asking what has she to lose. She has maintained loyalty to Trump not telling anyone about his friendship with her and Jeffrey. And we all know how he rewards people who are loyal to him.”
Although her arrest came during Trump’s first term as president, Maxwell’s conviction came under the Biden administration. Sources say Trump is acutely aware of the information she has on him. He was a long-time associate of Epstein and Maxwell and was famously videotaped at a party discussing the appearance of young girls who were present during a conversation with the late paedophile.
During his first term in the White House, he was left concerned by a US newspaper story in July 2020 about Maxwell’s arrest. It quoted a friend of Epstein as describing Maxwell as believing herself to be “protected by the intelligence communities she and [Epstein] helped with information ... by Prince Andrew, President Clinton and even by President Trump,” whom they described as having been “well-known to be an acquaintance of her and Epstein’s”.
According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s book about Trump, Confidence Man, the US leader tackled his advisers about the story at an Oval Office meeting. “You see that article in the Post today that mentioned me?” he asked aides. When they didn’t react, Trump pressed them further, asking: “She say anything about me?”
Maxwell, 63, an Oxford-educated socialite and the daughter of crooked tycoon Robert Maxwell, was once a fixture in the same Palm Beach and New York elite circles as Trump. The president has acknowledged knowing her for years, and the pair were frequently seen together at high-society events in the 1990s and 2000s. When Maxwell was first arrested, Trump’s response raised eyebrows.
“I just wish her well,” he said during a White House briefing. “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they [Maxwell and Epstein] lived in Palm Beach,” he added. “But I wish her well, whatever it is”. The remarks left many questioning just how deep their connection ran.
US leaders have the authority to grant acts of clemency to those charged or convicted of crimes. As soon as he took office in January Trump caused outrage by issuing pardons or commutations for more than 1,500 people jailed or accused over the US Capitol riot four years earlier. They included former Proud Boys leader Henry Enrique Tarrio who got 22 years for his role in the riot.
During his first term, Trump granted 237 acts of clemency. They included his ex-adviser Steve Bannon, who faced fraud charges, and Charles Kushner, dad-in-law of his daughter Ivanka, who got two years for tax fraud and other offences in 2004. Maxwell’s supporters argue that her trial was unfair and that she was scapegoated for Epstein’s crimes following his suspicious death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019.
They claim she was subjected to harsh treatment in custody and that her conviction was part of a broader effort by the then US government to appear tough on the Epstein scandal without exposing the full extent of his powerful connections. A source close to her legal team said: “Ghislaine has always believed she was unfairly targeted.
“There are people in her circle who think now is the perfect moment to push for clemency, given her long-standing ties to Trump. “Whether he will take action remains to be seen but they are certainly considering making her case behind the scenes. Ghislaine remains defiant that she is innocent.”
If a full pardon proves politically unpalatable, another option remains a prisoner transfer agreement. Trump’s Department of Justice could approve her return to a UK prison, where her remaining sentence would be substantially reduced. In June, she is eligible to apply to serve the rest of her sentence here.
She has about 15 years left to do after deducting the time already served and on remand. Under British law, she would be eligible for a third off, meaning she would have to serve 10 more years. Such a move would be seen as a slap in the face to survivors who believe she played a central role in Epstein’s abuse network. Adding fuel to the controversy is Trump’s failure, so far, to release the list of Epstein associates, something he vowed to do during his 2024 campaign.
On the election trail, he capitalised on public frustration over the secrecy surrounding the late New York financier’s connections, suggesting he would expose those involved. Yet since reclaiming the presidency, he has remained conspicuously silent on the matter, leading to accusations that his campaign promises were little more than political posturing.
Critics argue that a Maxwell pardon or transfer would further confirm suspicions that Trump, like other powerful figures, is keen to keep Epstein’s web of connections buried. The former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate involvement with Epstein. If Trump does help Maxwell’s case, the backlash could be immense.
A pardon would be seen as an extraordinary act of leniency for a sex trafficker, while a quiet transfer to Britain would be perceived as a backdoor deal to help an old friend. Maxwell currently remains incarcerated at FCI Tallahassee, a low-security federal prison in Florida.
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