Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell will not legally challenge the impending release of grand jury materials linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but her attorneys have issued a stark warning that their disclosure would cause "severe" harm to her prospects of a fair retrial.
Legal Team Fears 'Untested Allegations' Will Prejudice Future Trial
In a federal court filing submitted on Wednesday, 3rd December 2025, Maxwell's lawyers argued that making the grand jury records public would create insurmountable prejudice. They contend the files are filled with "untested and unproven allegations" that could irrevocably taint any future jury pool.
"Releasing the grand jury materials from her case... would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial," the legal team stated. This move comes despite Maxwell declining to formally oppose the release, which was compelled by a measure signed into law by former President Donald Trump.
Background of the Maxwell and Epstein Case
Ghislaine Maxwell, now 63, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of recruiting and grooming young women and girls for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Her scheduled release date is 2040.
Prosecutors successfully argued that from 1994 to 2004, Maxwell and Epstein conspired to lure girls, some as young as 14, to Epstein's various properties where they were sexually abused. During her 2021 trial in Manhattan, survivors testified that Maxwell played a central role in their grooming and abuse.
Jeffrey Epstein was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in New York in 2019 but was found dead in his jail cell shortly after his arrest. Maxwell was indicted the following year in connection with his decades-long exploitation scheme.
Long-Shot Legal Avenues and Presidential Pardon Speculation
Maxwell's legal battles continue despite the Supreme Court's refusal in October to hear her appeal. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, expressed deep disappointment but vowed to pursue "every avenue available." One argument her team has advanced is that Epstein's controversial non-prosecution agreement with Florida authorities should have applied to one of the counts against her.
Her most plausible chance for early release is considered to be a presidential pardon. Markus has stated Maxwell would "welcome" such a pardon, though she has not formally applied. Legal experts caution that public discussion of a pardon could incentivise her to intensify efforts to secure one.
The Justice Department had previously concluded that "no further disclosure" in the Epstein case was warranted. However, in a notable development in July, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell over two days at a Florida courthouse. Following her agreement to cooperate with prosecutors, she was transferred from a maximum-security facility to a minimum-security prison in Texas.
During that interview, Maxwell stated she "absolutely never" witnessed Donald Trump act inappropriately within Epstein's circle, praising the former president's "extraordinary achievement."
The release of the grand jury materials now moves forward after Trump reluctantly signed a congressional measure compelling the Department of Justice to disclose its investigative files on the Epstein case. This remains a developing legal story.
