The Justice Department under President Donald Trump has firmly rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to overturn her conviction, dealing a devastating setback to the imprisoned socialite’s legal team.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s DOJ filed a response Monday urging the Supreme Court to dismiss Maxwell’s case, effectively shutting down her attorneys’ arguments that a 2008 plea deal should have protected her from prosecution.
Maxwell, 63, currently serves a 20-year sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex trafficking operation.
Her legal team contended she should never have faced trial due to Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement with Florida prosecutors.
John Sauer, Trump’s pick for Solicitor General, delivered harsh criticism of Maxwell’s attorneys, calling their legal arguments an “implausible reading” of the law and describing their case as “misplaced.”
The decision arrives as Maxwell was photographed during her daily exercise routine at FCI Tallahassee, appearing like any other inmate in standard gray prison attire during a 45-minute evening run.
She was also seen pacing in prison, per reports.
Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus responded to the ruling with pointed criticism of the Trump administration.
“He’s the ultimate dealmaker – and I’m sure he’d agree that when the United States gives its word, it should