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By Gabe Whisnant
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Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, asked a federal judge Wednesday to overturn her sex trafficking conviction and release her from a 20-year prison sentence, arguing that newly surfaced evidence shows her trial was tainted by constitutional violations.
Why It Matters
Maxwell’s filing came two days before a large set of records from her case was scheduled to be made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law earlier this year. The measure, passed after months of political and public pressure, requires the Justice Department to release Epstein-related records by Friday.
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What To Know
In a habeas corpus petition filed in Manhattan federal court, Maxwell said information that would have led to her acquittal at her 2021 trial was withheld from the defense and that jurors were presented with false testimony. She argued that the cumulative impact of those alleged violations deprived her of a fair trial and resulted in what she called a “complete miscarriage of justice.”
Maxwell said the evidence, which she contends emerged after her conviction, comes from related civil lawsuits, government disclosures, investigative reports and previously unavailable documents. Taken together, she said, the material demonstrates that no reasonable jury would have convicted her had it been presented at trial.
A habeas petition is a legal mechanism that allows someone in custody to challenge the legality of their detention, typically after appeals have been exhausted. Such petitions often allege constitutional violations, including ineffective legal representation or prosecutorial misconduct, and can seek a new trial or release from custody.
The Justice Department has said it plans to disclose 18 categories of investigative materials gathered during the sprawling sex trafficking investigation, including search warrants, financial records, interview notes from victims and data recovered from electronic devices.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with connections to prominent figures, was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He died the following month in a New York federal jail in what authorities ruled a suicide. Maxwell, a British socialite, was arrested in July 2020 and convicted in December 2021 of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Earlier this year, Maxwell was interviewed by the Justice Department’s second-in-command and was later transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas.
After prosecutors asked a federal judge to allow grand jury and discovery materials from Maxwell’s case to be unsealed, her attorney, David Markus, said she did not oppose the release but warned it could severely prejudice any potential retrial. Markus said the records include “untested and unproven allegations” and that public disclosure could make it impossible for Maxwell to receive a fair proceeding if her conviction is overturned.
What People Are Saying
Maxwell's filing said, “Since the conclusion of her trial, substantial new evidence has emerged … demonstrating constitutional violations that undermined the fairness of her proceeding. In light of the full evidentiary record, no reasonable juror would have convicted her.”
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, speaking with Vanity Fair, said that Trump was not aware of Maxwell's transfer before it was announced, and that it made him upset, “The president was ticked,” the White House chief of staff said. “The president was mighty unhappy. I don’t know why they moved her. Neither does the president.”
What Happens Next
Last week, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer granted the Justice Department’s request to release the materials. On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said at an unrelated news conference that his office would comply with the law and the court’s orders regarding the records.
Engelmayer, who had previously denied similar unsealing requests before the transparency law was enacted, said the materials do not identify anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.
Updates: 12/17/25, 7:15 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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