Maxwell Asks SCOTUS to Overturn Conviction

Ghislaine Maxwell is asking the US Supreme Court to overturn her 2022 sex-trafficking conviction, arguing that a deal Jeffrey Epstein struck with federal prosecutors should have protected her from prosecution. The core of Maxwell's appeal centers on a 2008 non-prosecution agreement (NPA) Epstein reached with authorities in Florida—a deal her lawyers say should apply to her as well, CNN reports.

• "This case is about what the government promised, not what Epstein did," Maxwell's legal team told the court. They argue the government promised Epstein and his associates immunity, and they accuse prosecutors of reneging on that promise for political reasons.

• "President Trump built his legacy in part on the power of a deal—and surely he would agree that when the United States gives its word, it must stand by it," Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Markus, said in a statement. "We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the president himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted.
• The technical question for the Supreme Court is whether the Florida NPA should have barred federal prosecutors in New York from charging Maxwell. A federal appeals court previously ruled against her, saying the Florida agreement did not bind New York authorities. Maxwell's lawyers argue that courts across the country have inconsistently interpreted the reach of such deals, and want the high court to settle the question.

• The Justice Department has urged the top court to reject Maxwell's appeal, Axios reports. The court is expected to decide this fall whether to take the case.
• Last week, Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence, met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. On Monday, Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanded transcripts of the interviews, the New York Times reports. He said there are "serious questions about the potential for a corrupt bargain between the Trump Administration and Ghislaine Maxwell" and asked the DOJ to commit to not offering Maxwell a pardon or commutation in exchange for information.