President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he is allowed to give Ghislaine Maxwell pardon, but no one has approached him about doing so.
Ghislaine Maxwell sat for interviews with Trump’s Department of Justice last week answering questions about nearly 100 people allegedly connected to Jeffrey Epstein, according to her attorney. As the controversy over the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files continues to unfold, the president was asked whether he would ever consider pardoning Maxwell. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Top Trump Officials Admit They’re Pissed At How The Epstein Story Was Handled)
“Well, I am allowed to give her a pardon, but nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it,” Trump said. “It’s in the news about that aspect of it. But right now it would be inappropriate to talk about it.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer subpoenaed Maxwell on Wednesday after his committee voted unanimously to compel her testimony.
Maxwell is currently behind bars on a 20-year federal prison sentence after a jury convicted her of sex trafficking and conspiracy in 2021, but she is currently appealing both her conviction and sentence.
Maxwell’s attorney told reporters on Friday that they had not spoken with Trump or anyone in his orbit regarding a potential pardon.
“The president this morning said he had the power to do so,” David Markus said Friday. “We hope he exercises that power in a right and just way.” (RELATED: Alan Dershowitz Shares What Worries Him Most About Epstein Case Files)
“We haven’t asked for anything. This is not a situation where we are asking for anything in return for testimony or anything like that,” he continued. “Of course, everybody knows Ms. Maxwell would welcome any relief.”
