DOJ Acting Attorney General Promises No Pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pledged to Congress on Tuesday that the Department of Justice will not recommend a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker who conspired with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The commitment came during Blanche’s first congressional testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

Under questioning from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, Blanche stated, "Yes, I can commit to that, of course," when asked if the Justice Department would refuse to advocate for a pardon for Maxwell. The senator had initially raised concerns about pardons for individuals named in the Epstein files before narrowing his focus to Maxwell.

The pledge followed escalating pressure from Senate Democrats. Sens. Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse sent a letter to Blanche on Monday demanding a public promise that the DOJ would not support clemency for Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation with investigators. Their letter cited reports that Blanche had recently met privately with Maxwell for nine hours over two days, sessions during which she was reportedly granted limited immunity. The senators called the purpose and timing of the...