Pam Bondi's DOJ urges Supreme Court to turn away Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal
Earlier this year, Maxwell submitted a plea to the Supreme Court to overturn the 2021 conviction that landed her a 20-year prison sentence after the court found she had helped recruit Epstein's victims.
Maxwell argued she had immunity from a non-prosecution agreement made between Epstein and the U.S. government in 2007 regarding his other co-conspirators, and that the statute of limitations had run out.
The DOJ argued in a filing Monday that Maxwell should not be covered by the agreement.
According to ABC News, 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.
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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.
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.
Last week, the Trump administration said documents allegedly containing the names of Epstein's high-profile clients — a 'client list' — did not exist, backtracking on previous claims that the files did, in fact, contain a list.
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Bondi, despite promoting the narrative, said there were no more files related to Epstein's sex trafficking.
1:50
Jeffrey Epstein: White House stands by FBI, DOJ memo stating Epstein client list doesn't exist
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, President Donald Trump said his political adversaries were to blame for the attention on the Epstein files, referencing several unrelated conspiracy theories in the process, including the 'Stolen Election of 2020,' and complaining about 'Radical Left Lunatics,' asking why they didn't release 'The Epstein Files.'
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'If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn't they use it?' he wrote.
'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World. Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.'
0:42
Trump can't believe people are still asking him about Jeffrey Epstein
In June, at the height of Trump's public spat with Elon Musk, his former adviser and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head, the Tesla owner claimed in a post on X that Trump's name was in the Epstein files.
It was Trump, during his first term in office, who ordered the arrest of Epstein for sex trafficking of minors in July 2019.
The president's most recent comments marked a change of tune from days prior, when he attempted to shut down a line of questioning over Bondi's controversial report denying the existence of the list.
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'Are people still talking about this guy, this creep?' he said before Bondi could respond.
The DOJ's response on Monday to the Supreme Court comes as a faction of the president's supporters are turning on the Trump administration. Influential far-right media personalities and commentators have expressed their ire in the fallout, and supporters have filmed videos burning various Trump merchandise, including their red MAGA hats.
1:44
MAGA melts down over Trump administration's Epstein reversal
A statement from Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus, took aim at Trump's team directly: 'I'd be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal. He's the ultimate dealmaker — and I'm sure he'd agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it.'
The Supreme Court is expected to decide in the coming months whether to take up Maxwell's petition. Four or more justices will have to vote in favour of granting a petition for review.
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— With files from Global News' Rachel Goodman
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