Blanche says he won't recommend pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell

WASHINGTON - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday he would not recommend a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a federal prison sentence for her role in a sex trafficking scheme involving deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The head of the Justice Department made the remark during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill under questioning from Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee.

"I can commit to that, of course," Blanche said.

Trump, as president, ultimately holds the power to pardon Maxwell. A judge in 2022 sentenced Maxwell to 20 years in prison for her part in a scheme involving the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor girls, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department's treatment of Maxwell while in custody has sparked concern from House Democrats.

In a letter last year to Justice Department officials, a group of House Democrats said the department transferred Maxwell from a federal correctional institution to a "relatively luxurious" minimum security prison camp in Texas, a facility that was more comfortable and lower security.

The transfer, according to the letter, came days after Blanche had met with Maxwell.

At the hearing Tuesday, under questioning from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., Blanche said Maxwell was transferred from a "low-security prison to a low-security prison."

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:35 PM.