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The U.S. Senate has voted unanimously against granting a pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution stating that Ghislaine Maxwell should not receive a presidential pardon, a commutation of her sentence, or any other form of clemency. The text, introduced by Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen (Nevada), is explicitly directed against a potential pardon by President Donald Trump. Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and former close associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s criminal network.
“It is simply appalling that Trump would even consider for a second granting a pardon to a convicted human trafficker,” Rosen said in a speech on the Senate floor. She then called for unanimous consent to her resolution; there were no objections, so the Senate formally endorsed her position. The measure is not binding, but according to Rosen, it sends a clear message to the White House and to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose nomination has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. “If Republicans move forward with Blanche’s nomination tomorrow in the Judiciary Committee, this is the least they can do to make clear their opposition to a pardon for Maxwell,” Rosen said.
Trump never really ruled out a pardon
The resolution also reflects Democrats’ desire to hold Blanche accountable for his handling of the Epstein cases. Blanche, who, as acting attorney general, questioned Maxwell for two days last summer, has said he will not recommend a pardon. Trump himself, however, has not ruled out a pardon, and Maxwell’s attorney announced that he would continue to seek clemency. Maxwell invoked her right to remain silent during a congressional hearing in February; her attorney stated that she would only speak in the Epstein investigation if she were granted a pardon.
Criticism has also been directed at Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security detention center shortly after her questioning by Blanche. In the written testimony that followed, Maxwell stated that she had never seen Trump engage in inappropriate behavior. Blanche defended the transfer; Trump denies any involvement with Epstein.
With this unanimous resolution, both Democrats and Republicans are demonstrating that they reject any special treatment for Maxwell—even though, legally speaking, the president could still decide to grant her a pardon.
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