URGENT UPDATE: Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has filed a request to a US federal judge seeking to overturn her 20-year prison sentence due to what she describes as “substantial new evidence.” This filing, made in Manhattan federal court, claims that constitutional violations during her trial led to a wrongful conviction on sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, asserts that the evidence withheld from her trial could have significantly impacted the jury’s decision. The habeas petition, which Maxwell has indicated she would file since August, argues that there was a “complete miscarriage of justice.” The petition highlights that new findings from civil actions, government disclosures, and investigative reports demonstrate serious constitutional violations that tainted the fairness of her trial.
The timing of this petition is crucial, coming just days before the planned release of documents related to her case under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by former President Donald Trump. This act mandates the justice department to disclose extensive records—including search warrants, financial documents, and victim interviews—related to Epstein’s sex trafficking activities.
In her legal filing, Maxwell’s team stated, “Since the conclusion of her trial, substantial new evidence has emerged that undermines the fairness of her proceeding.” They argue that, given this new evidentiary record, “no reasonable juror would have convicted her.” This claim raises urgent questions regarding the integrity of her original trial and the implications for her future.
Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021, following Epstein’s death in August 2019, which was ruled a suicide. The political environment surrounding Epstein’s case continues to evolve, and with it, significant pressure is mounting on the justice department. They confirmed that the upcoming release will involve 18 categories of investigative materials from the expansive sex trafficking probe.
The justice department’s second-in-command interviewed Maxwell in July, shortly after which she was transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a camp in Texas. Judge Paul Engelmayer recently granted the justice department’s request to publicly unseal documents previously withheld, stating that these materials do not implicate anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell in sexual misconduct involving minors.
Maxwell’s legal team contends that the release of these documents could severely prejudice her chances for a fair retrial if her habeas petition is successful. They emphasize that the records contain “untested and unproven allegations,” which could further complicate her legal standing.
As the landscape surrounding this high-profile case shifts, the implications for Ghislaine Maxwell—and by extension, the legacy of Jeffrey Epstein—remain profound. The developments in her case will be closely monitored, and further updates are expected in the coming days.
Stay tuned for more breaking news as this story unfolds.
