The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Wednesday opposing any presidential pardon or clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein. The resolution, introduced by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), states that Maxwell should not be granted "a pardon, commutation, or any other form of executive clemency."
While the resolution is not legally binding, it serves as a clear signal to the current administration that both Republican and Democratic senators are against the idea of clemency for Maxwell. She is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted in late 2021 on charges including sex trafficking conspiracy and the trafficking of a minor.
Rosen stated on the Senate floor that it was "horrifying" to consider clemency for a convicted sex trafficker. She linked the resolution to a stalled vote on the nomination of Todd Blanche, acting Attorney General, to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Blanche, who previously oversaw the rollout of Epstein files as deputy attorney general, has stated he would not recommend a pardon for Maxwell.
White House officials have consistently denied that clemency for Maxwell is under consideration. However, President Trump has previously given ambiguous responses when questioned by reporters about pardoning Maxwell, stating in November that he had not considered it for months and would not rule it in or out. The Supreme Court rejected Maxwell's appeal of her conviction in October.
Maya Maxwell appeared virtually before the House Oversight Committee in February from a Texas prison camp, where she invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her defense attorney, David Oscar Markus, stated that she was willing to testify that President Trump and former President Bill Clinton were innocent of any wrongdoing, despite their past associations with Epstein.