DOJ Rejects Maxwell Appeal Upholds 20-Year Sex Trafficking Conviction

The U.S. Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi under President Donald Trump's administration, has urged the Supreme Court to reject Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal to overturn her 2021 sex-trafficking conviction linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell's defense argued that Epstein's 2007 non-prosecution agreement with Florida prosecutors immunized her from federal prosecution, but the DOJ clarified that the agreement applied only to the Southern District of Florida and did not protect Maxwell or other jurisdictions from charges. This legal position comes amid heightened scrutiny and political controversy over the handling and public release of Epstein-related files, with some Trump supporters expressing frustration and conspiracy theories about withheld information, including alleged client lists. Despite promises to disclose these files, the DOJ and FBI recently announced no further documents would be released, prompting President Trump to publicly urge his supporters to move past the Epstein case. Maxwell remains in a Florida prison serving a 20-year sentence, while calls for her potential testimony before Congress have surfaced. The case continues to evoke political tension, with Trump defending Bondi's handling of the matter and critics demanding greater transparency.