Prosecutors blast her latest ‘baseless’ arguments as ‘unmoored from law, logic or the record’
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Convicted sex traffickerGhislaine Maxwellis asking a judge to revisit a jury’s verdict and her 20-year prison sentence after recently published documents stemming frominvestigations into Jeffrey Epsteinexposed what she believes contain new evidence that vindicates her.
Her 2021 conviction should be rendered “invalid, unsafe and infirm,” she wrote in a newly unsealed court filing.
Maxwell, who is now representing herself in her appeals, was found guilty of recruiting and grooming young women and girls for Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019 whileawaiting his own trial on trafficking charges.
With all her appeals exhausted, she filed a new petition for her release inside a USB drive mailed from prison inside a FedEx envelope that was postmarked April 16. Those documents — which contain 60 pages of arguments that Maxwell wrote herself — were unsealed Wednesday night.
A furious, 101-page response from the Department of Justice urged a judge to dismiss what government lawyers described as factually incorrect and legally baseless arguments. Maxwell’s papers also repeatedly allege government misconduct, claims that are “unmoored from law, logic, or the record,” according to a response from Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz in Manhattan.
“Her victims deserve finality,” Pomerantz wrote. “She should not be permitted another attempt to level unsupported, false allegations of Government misconduct, particularly given the length of her papers, and when her request to amend further is conclusory.”
Maxwell, 64, is the only person charged in Epstein’s alleged trafficking conspiracy other than Epstein himself.
She is not scheduled to be released from prison until 2040, and her best chance of early release isa presidential pardon.Her attorney, David Markus, has previously said she would “welcome” one, and Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged he has the power to do so.
In October, the Supreme Courtdeclined to reviewwhether prosecutors fairly brought a case against her. Maxwell was “deeply disappointed,” Markus toldThe Independentat the time.
“But this fight isn’t over,” he said. “Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure that justice is done.”
