The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a resolution stating that Ghislaine Maxwell should not be granted any presidential pardon or clemency. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) on Wednesday.
"It’s frankly horrifying that Trump would entertain the idea of clemency for even a second for a convicted sex trafficker," Rosen said on the Senate floor, as reported by The Hill. Both Democrats and Republicans supported the resolution.
Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for crimes including conspiracy to entice a minor to engage in illegal sex acts and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Concerns that former President Donald Trump might pardon Maxwell stem from his past friendship with Epstein and comments Trump made after Maxwell's arrest in 2020, where he did not rule out a pardon. Additionally, Todd Blanche, a former Trump lawyer and current acting attorney general, reportedly transferred Maxwell to a minimum-security facility after she allegedly discussed Trump's connection to Epstein with him. Blanche has stated he would not recommend a pardon for Maxwell.
While the Senate resolution received unanimous support, it is non-binding. The Trump administration has previously stated that no consideration has been given to pardoning Maxwell.