By Maribel Velazquez
The acting attorney general of the United States, Todd Blancheassured this Tuesday before the Senate that will not recommend a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwellformer collaborator and ex-partner of Jeffrey Epstein, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking of minors.
The statement occurred during a appropriations subcommittee hearingwhere Blanche appeared to defend the Department of Justice 2027 budget request. However, much of the session was marked by questions about the handling of files related to Epstein and Maxwell.
It was Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen who directly questioned the official about the possibility of eventual presidential clemency for Maxwell. “Can you commit to not recommending a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell?”the legislator asked. Blanche responded bluntly, “Yes, of course I can commit to that.”
The words of the interim prosecutor come months after Maxwell’s defense will leave open the possibility of collaborating with congressional investigations in exchange for a pardon presidential. Her lawyer even previously noted that the former socialite would be willing to testify “freely” if she received immunity or a pardon.
The possibility of Maxwell obtaining some type of benefit had sparked outrage among survivors and advocacy organizations for victims of sexual abuse. Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who has represented several Epstein victims, recently warned that “Any mention of clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell subverts justice.”
During the hearing, Van Hollen also accused Blanche of continuing to act as a “non-public lawyer” for President Donald Trump. due to his previous closeness with the Republican president. The senator especially questioned Blanche’s participation in interviews with Maxwell last year as part of the review of documents related to Epstein.
The prosecutor denied having acted on direct instructions from Trump and rejected criticism of alleged privileges towards Maxwell, who was recently transferred from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas, a move that experts called “unusual.”
Although Blanche ruled out recommending a pardon for Maxwell, He avoided making the same commitment regarding other people mentioned in Epstein’s files. He argued that there are “hundreds of thousands of names” within the documentation and recalled that the majority do not face criminal accusations.
The White House has also tried to cool down the speculation. The spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated in February that a possible pardon for Maxwell “is not a priority” for President Trump and assured that the president “is not thinking about it.”
Keep reading:
- Former cellmate of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice, reproaches her for her lack of hygiene
- Ghislaine Maxwell told the Justice Department that there is “no list” for Epstein
