Ghislaine Maxwell's family break silence blasting Trump's decision to close Epstein case
The family of disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has said new evidence, such as "government misconduct", could be used to challenge her imprisonment.
The siblings of the convicted sex trafficker also launched a blistering attack on the Trump administration's decision to end the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell's family have condemned what they describe as a miscarriage of justice and accused the US government of breaking its word.
It came as Donald Trump, continued to show growing frustration with questions about the paedophile's files, shaking his head when asked why his supporters in particular 'have been so interested [in the case] and so upset with how it's been handled'. Trump said: 'He's dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody."
He hit out as Maxwell's family issued a strongly worded statement, saying she was denied a fair trial and vowed to take fresh legal action in the US courts based on alleged government misconduct. Their remarks come just days after the Department of Justice announced that it was closing its inquiry into Epstein's network, a move that has sparked fury among campaigners and reignited claims of political interference.
The backlash is so great that even Trump's loyal MAGA base has begun turning on the president after his Attorney General Pam Bondi previously vowed to make all the Epstein files public.
'Our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial,' the family said. 'Her legal team continues to fight her case in the Courts and will file its reply in short order to the Government's opposition in the US Supreme Court. If necessary, in due course they will also file a writ of habeas corpus in the US District Court, SDNY. This allows her to challenge her imprisonment on the basis of new evidence such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome.'
Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison after being convicted in 2021 of procuring underage girls for Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019. Her lawyers have petitioned the US Supreme Court to overturn the conviction, claiming the prosecution reneged on an immunity deal allegedly offered to Epstein and his associates two decades ago.
David Oscar Markus, lead counsel for Maxwell in her Supreme Court appeal, took aim at former President Donald Trump, whose administration's legal representatives have continued to oppose the appeal, even after his return to the White House earlier this year.
'I'd be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal,' Markus said. 'He's the ultimate dealmaker, and I'm sure he'd agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it. With all the talk about who's being prosecuted and who isn't, it's especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the US government made and broke.'
Her family said they 'profoundly concur' with Markus's comments, marking their most direct rebuke yet of the US government's handling of the case. The statement is likely to inflame controversy over the perceived double standards in the justice system, particularly in light of the DOJ's decision to terminate its Epstein probe despite ongoing speculation about the wider network of individuals involved.
Maxwell has always maintained her innocence and claims she is being scapegoated for Epstein's crimes. Her supporters argue that the case against her was tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and politically motivated pressure to secure a high-profile conviction after Epstein's death.
US legal analysts say the likelihood of the Supreme Court hearing the case remains slim, but Maxwell's team has indicated they will pursue all available avenues, including a habeas corpus motion, to challenge her incarceration. The Department of Justice has yet to respond to the family's latest claims.
Her lawyer's statement has also fuelled Trump's fears that she may speak out. Last week, the Mirror revealed how the president has been left panicked that Maxwell may break her silence and reveal details of his past ties to Epstein. Trump was a long-time associate of Epstein and Maxwell and was famously videotaped at a party discussing the appearance of young girls who were present during a conversation with the late paedophile.
During his first term in the White House, he was concerned by a US newspaper story in July 2020 about her arrest. It quoted a friend of Epstein as describing Maxwell as believing herself to be "protected by the intelligence communities she and [Epstein] helped with information ... by Prince Andrew, President Clinton and even by President Trump," whom they described as having been "well-known to be an acquaintance of her and Epstein's".
According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's book about Trump, Confidence Man, the US leader tackled his advisers about the story at an Oval Office meeting. "You see that article in the Post today that mentioned me?" he asked aides. When they didn't react, Trump pressed them further, asking: "She say anything about me?"
Maxwell, 63, Oxford-educated and the daughter of crooked tycoon Robert Maxwell, was once a fixture in the same Palm Beach and New York elite circles as Trump.
The president has acknowledged knowing her for years, and the pair were frequently seen together at high society events in the 1990s and 2000s. When Maxwell was first arrested, Trump's response raised eyebrows. "I just wish her well," he said during a White House briefing. "I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they [Maxwell and Epstein] lived in Palm Beach," he added. "But I wish her well, whatever it is."
The remarks had many questioning just how deep their connection ran. The FBI's decision to end its Epstein probe came as Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed by the president, faces growing scrutiny over contradictory statements she has made about the case. In February, she confirmed the existence of a non-public list of Epstein's alleged clients, saying there were "tens of thousands of videos and documents" still held by the FBI, some of which allegedly showed "horrific crimes involving minors."
However, last week, Trump's US Department of Justice stated that it had concluded its review and had "no further information" to share with the public. The abrupt reversal prompted questions for the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Bondi, saying: "She was referring to the entirety of all of the paperwork, all of the paper, in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes… and I'll let her speak to that." The contradiction intensified criticism that the Trump administration has failed Epstein's victims, many of whom have accused the justice system of protecting the powerful while offering only one conviction.
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