25. April 2026

MAGA Revolts After Trump Announces He's 'Open' to Pardoning Maxwell

WASHINGTON-- Lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are forcefully rejecting the idea that convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell could receive clemency from former President Donald Trump in exchange for cooperating with congressional investigators examining Jeffrey Epstein’s network.

The bipartisan pushback follows comments by Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., who told Politico earlier this week that “a lot of people” on the panel were open to the possibility of a pardon or commutation if Maxwell provided substantive testimony. The remark drew swift criticism from members of both parties and from survivors of Epstein’s abuse, who argue that any leniency would undermine accountability for one of the most high-profile sex trafficking cases in recent history.

Maxwell, 64, was convicted in 2021 on federal charges of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein, the financier who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. She is serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison camp in Texas, with a projected release date of July 17, 2037, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said members of his party are unified in opposing any arrangement that would trade clemency for testimony.

“Democrats on this committee are united in opposing any pardon for Maxwell,” Garcia said, describing the idea as incompatible with the interests of survivors and the pursuit of justice.

Comer later walked back the notion that he personally supports clemency, saying Thursday that he is not open to a pardon for Maxwell. While he acknowledged that opinions among Republicans may vary, it remains unclear how many GOP lawmakers would actively support urging Trump to grant her relief.

The debate highlights the limited formal role Congress would play in any such arrangement. The power to issue federal pardons rests solely with the president, leaving lawmakers without direct authority to negotiate terms, even as they seek information related to Epstein’s associates and alleged enablers.

Maxwell has signaled through her legal team that she could be willing to provide more expansive testimony under certain conditions. Her attorney said on social media earlier this year that she would be “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if granted clemency. During a closed-door deposition before the Oversight Committee in February, however, Maxwell declined to answer questions, citing legal advice.

She had previously received limited immunity during an interview with then–acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last year, according to people familiar with the matter. Shortly afterward, she was transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas.

Trump has repeatedly downplayed the prospect of a pardon. Asked in November whether he would consider granting clemency, he told NBC News he would “have to take a look at it,” later adding, “I wouldn’t consider it or not consider — I don’t know anything about it.” In an earlier interview with Newsmax, he said, “I’m allowed to do it, but nobody’s asking me to do it. I know nothing about it.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Other Republicans have been more definitive in their opposition. A spokesperson for Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said the congresswoman would not support clemency under any circumstances, stating, “Ghislaine Maxwell helped Jeffrey Epstein traffic children. Our answer is a hard no.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., echoed that stance, saying in a television interview, “She’s not getting a pardon. The votes are not there for that.”

Survivors of Epstein’s abuse have also spoken out against the possibility. Annie Farmer, who testified at Maxwell’s trial and says she was abused by both Maxwell and Epstein, warned that granting clemency would send a damaging message.

“Before you consider a pardon of a convicted sex offender and trafficker, imagine explaining it to your wife, sister or daughter,” Farmer said in a statement. “Could you live with knowing that you’ve chosen to put a felon — who recruited, groomed and threatened underage girls and young women — above survivors?”

Farmer noted that her sister, Maria Farmer, reported allegations involving Epstein and Maxwell to the FBI as early as 1996. She urged the Justice Department to reject any clemency and instead focus on investigating others who may have facilitated the abuse.

“In the clearest terms possible, this move would be detrimental to survivors,” she said. “We ask the Department of Justice to permanently close the door on any pardon or commutation for Maxwell and instead open the door on a criminal investigation into the enablers of Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell’s abuse.”

Meanwhile, Maxwell is continuing to challenge her conviction in court. She filed a habeas corpus petition earlier this year and has sought to expand it with newly disclosed materials stemming from the Justice Department’s release of millions of records related to Epstein. In a recent court filing, prosecutors said they received a package containing a USB drive with Maxwell’s amended motion and supporting exhibits.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer has ordered federal prosecutors to respond to the petition by May 19, with additional deadlines governing potential redactions before documents are made public. The judge previously criticized Maxwell’s legal team for including identifying information about victims in earlier filings, amid broader scrutiny of how sensitive details have been handled in the release of Epstein-related records.

That scrutiny intensified this week when the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General opened an investigation into the handling of the Epstein files and whether prosecutors complied with federal transparency requirements governing their release.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats are also pressing for testimony from former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was fired earlier this month and had been scheduled to appear before the Oversight Committee on April 14. Her deposition was postponed, prompting accusations from some lawmakers that she is refusing to comply with a subpoena.

“Pam Bondi was complicit in the most egregious cover-up in American history. Now she’s breaking the law by refusing to comply with our bipartisan subpoena,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., said in a statement, adding that Democrats could pursue contempt proceedings.

Republican leadership said discussions are ongoing to reschedule Bondi’s testimony.

“We are working with Pam Bondi’s attorney to schedule her deposition and expect to have a date to announce soon,” a committee spokesperson said Friday.

As the investigation continues, some lawmakers, including Luna, have called for additional witnesses — including individuals they describe as co-conspirators — to testify. Questions also persist about whether the full scope of Epstein-related records has been made public, a concern raised by members of both parties since the initial deadline set under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Against that backdrop, the prospect of clemency for Maxwell has become a flashpoint, underscoring the tension between efforts to extract new information and the demand for accountability in a case that continues to reverberate across Washington and beyond.