Convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is again being framed as a victim by her legal team and a growing chorus of right-wing media figures.
Maxwell’s attorney David Markus told reporters outside the Justice Department on Friday that his client has endured “unjust treatment for more than five years,” adding that “if you looked up scapegoat in the dictionary, you’d see her picture”. Echoing that language, Maxwell’s brother Ian called her “a patsy for Jeffrey Epstein” in recent interviews, arguing prosecutors targeted her only because Epstein died in custody.
Conservative commentators have picked up the sympathy campaign. Newsmax host Greg Kelly suggested Maxwell “might just be a victim” and “deserves to be out” of prison, questioning whether her 20-year sentence was a “rush to judgment”.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk praised federal officials for interviewing Maxwell, saying the move “definitely” merits encouragement and speculating she could trade information for immunity.
Pro-Trump podcaster Benny Johnson called Maxwell “a living piece of evidence” who could unlock the “truth about Epstein,” applauding efforts to secure her cooperation.
Former President Donald Trump set the tone early. When asked about Maxwell, Trump has said, “I wish her well,” multiple times while acknowledging he had met her “numerous times” in Palm Beach.
On Friday, when asked if he had considered pardoning Maxwell for her crimes against children, Trump said, “It’s something I haven’t thought about.” “It’s something — I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”
Trump’s DOJ, led by current US Attorney General Pam Bondi (who, as Florida’s Attorney General, could have prosecuted Maxwell’s partner Jeffrey Epstein) released a memo stating there is nothing of concern in the Epstein files, despite Bondi having privately told Trump in March that his name appeared in them. Amid mounting public pressure over files Bondi had described as containing “tens of thousands of videos” allegedly showing Epstein “with children or child porn,” she now claims there is nothing incriminating in the documents, contradicting her earlier characterizations of their explosive content.
The reversal has fueled public skepticism, particularly amid growing demands for transparency and accountability in the long-awaited Epstein investigation.
All of this culminated in an unusual move by the DOJ, which called on Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (who had previously served as Trump’s attorney during the 2024 New York trial where Trump was convicted of 34 counts) to speak to Maxwell, offering her “use immunity” last week.
Use immunity is a form of legal protection that prevents the government from using a witness’s compelled testimony, or any evidence directly or indirectly derived from that testimony, against the witness in a criminal prosecution. However, it does not prevent prosecution altogether. If prosecutors obtain independent evidence not derived from the immunized testimony, they may still pursue charges.
Last week, the House Oversight Committee also sent a subpoena to Maxwell, disposing her testimony on Aug. 11. Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus told reporters Friday, “Congress has asked her to testify, we have to make a decision about whether she will do that or not. We haven’t gotten back to them on whether we’ll do that.”
Maxwell is also currently waiting to hear back from the Supreme Court on whether or not they will hear her appeal, arguing that a previous plea agreement involving Jeffrey Epstein should have protected her from prosecution.
The Department of Justice recently asked the Court to reject this appeal.
Despite the right’s turnabout on Maxwell’s role in Epstein’s abuse, court records and witness testimony identify Maxwell as Epstein’s top accomplice, who played a central role in recruiting victims, coordinating logistics, and personally advancing the sex-trafficking operation.
Between 1994 and 2004, Maxwell and Epstein operated what prosecutors described as a “pyramid scheme of abuse” that systematically targeted vulnerable underage girls.
Maxwell’s role was multifaceted and essential – she was a recruiter, groomer, participant, and manager of a sex trafficking operation that prosecutors called “shockingly predatory”.
The operation was methodical and sophisticated. Maxwell would identify potential victims, often approaching them in public places like Central Park or outside schools. She targeted girls who were emotionally vulnerable, those who had lost parents, been abused by other family members, or came from unstable backgrounds. As prosecutor Alison Moe explained during closing arguments, Maxwell targeted young girls who were emotionally damaged, including one whose father had recently died and another who had been molested by her grandfather when she was 4 years old and whose mother was an addict.
Maxwell’s grooming tactics followed a consistent pattern that prosecutors called her “playbook.” She would approach victims with offers of financial opportunities, fake modeling auditions, promises of investments in careers or travel, and educational assistance.
The grooming process was gradual and calculated. Maxwell would first befriend the girls, taking them shopping for expensive clothes, including lingerie from Victoria’s Secret, discussing their personal lives, and gradually introducing sexual topics into conversation.
She would expose herself to victims and encourage them to undress in front of her, normalizing inappropriate behavior.
She created an environment where sexual abuse came to seem “casual and normal” through patient psychological manipulation.
During Maxwell’s trial, four courageous women testified about the abuse they suffered, revealing the devastating scope of Maxwell’s crimes.
“Jane,” who testified under a pseudonym, met Maxwell and Epstein in 1994 at age 14 while attending an arts summer camp. Maxwell began taking “Jane” shopping for clothes, including underwear at Victoria’s Secret.
“Jane” testified that one day Epstein took her to a pool house near his Palm Beach home when he pulled down his pants, and “proceeded to masturbate.”
“I was frozen in fear,” she said. “I’d never see a penis before. … I was terrified and felt gross and felt ashamed.”
Like many of Maxwell and Epstein’s victims, this was not the only encounter. “Jane” said Maxwell and Epstein would take advantage of her during massages, where Epstein would also masturbate, and that she was subject to abuse with sex toys and oral sex orgies where Maxwell would participate with other young girls.
“Carolyn,” also 14 years old, testified that she ended up at Epstein’s home after a friend said she could make money.
Maxwell personally groped Carolyn’s naked body, telling her she had a “great body for Epstein and his friends” after touching her breasts, hips, and buttocks. Carolyn returned to Epstein’s home hundreds of times over the next several years, with Maxwell arranging appointments and sometimes handing over cash payments of $300 per session. The abuse continued until Carolyn turned 18.
British victim “Kate” revealed how Maxwell’s operation extended internationally. At age 17, Kate was invited to Maxwell’s London townhouse. “Kate” was given oils to massage Epstein’s shoulders and feet, then took a call and left. A few weeks later, Maxwell called “Kate,” saying a massage therapist had canceled, and asked “Kate” to give Epstein a massage.
When Kate arrived, Maxwell led her upstairs to a small, dimly lit room where Epstein was waiting in a robe. Once Kate entered, she said, Epstein removed the robe and Maxwell closed the door behind her.
When asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz whether Epstein initiated sexual contact during that massage, Kate responded, “Yes.”
Maxwell’s manipulation of Kate was particularly calculated. She would ask Kate afterward, “How did it go? Did you have fun? Was it good?” treating the sexual abuse as a casual social interaction.
This happened more than once, with Epstein raping the girl more than once. “Kate” said, Maxwell told her, “You’re such a good girl. … He really likes you.”
“Kate” was known to travel with Maxwell and Epstein over the next few years, landing in Florida, New York, and the Virgin Islands. Kate continued to have a relationship with Maxwell and Epstein because she thought Ghislaine was going to be her friend.
Annie Farmer, the only victim to testify under her real name, was 16 when she encountered Maxwell and Epstein at his New Mexico ranch in 1996. Her story revealed Maxwell’s hands-on participation in sexual abuse.
Farmer, met Epstein through her sister, Maria, who was also one of Epstein’s victims.
Epstein asked Annie to visit New Mexico, which she was hesitant about until she learned a woman, Maxwell, would also be there. After Maxwell showed Farmer how to massage Epstein’s feet, she offered to give Farmer a massage.
Maxwell told Farmer “to get undressed and get [under] the sheet on the massage table,” Farmer said. “She pulled the sheet down and exposed my breasts, and started rubbing on my chest and on my upper breast.”
The Farmer sisters, who were among the earliest accusers of Jeffrey Epstein, have brought renewed legal attention to the U.S. government’s handling of the Epstein investigation. Maria Farmer filed a high-profile lawsuit against the federal government, specifically naming the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and the FBI in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in May 2025. The suit accuses federal authorities of negligence and causing emotional distress by failing to act after she reported her and her sister’s abuse at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell in 1996 and reiterated in 2006.
Maria has publicly alleged a troubling encounter with Donald Trump in Epstein’s Manhattan office in 1995. Farmer reported that she was unexpectedly summoned by Epstein late at night, arrived wearing running shorts, and found Trump in the office dressed in a business suit.
According to Farmer, Trump hovered over her and stared silently at her legs, making her feel uncomfortable. Epstein then entered the room and told Trump, “No, no, she’s not here for you.” As both men left, Farmer says she overheard Trump comment that he thought she was 16 years old.
The White House has denied that the encounter ever took place, stating that Trump was never present in Epstein’s office and reiterating that there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Trump in connection with Epstein.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre became one of the most prominent accusers not only of Jeffrey Epstein, but also of Maxwell, whom Giuffre described as instrumental in her sexual exploitation as a minor.
Giuffre has recounted in court documents, interviews, and a major civil lawsuit that Maxwell actively recruited her at the age of 16 at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where Giuffre worked while her father was on the staff. Giuffre stated that Maxwell groomed her under the guise of providing a “massage” for Epstein, a word she said was used as code for sexual activity.
In her legal filings and public statements, Giuffre has accused Maxwell of personally directing, facilitating, and participating in the trafficking and abuse. She said Maxwell arranged for her to be flown around the world to be sexually exploited by high-profile men, including Prince Andrew, former politicians, lawyers, and businessmen.
Giuffre filed a defamation lawsuit against Maxwell in 2015 after Maxwell publicly denied her allegations. That suit was settled in Giuffre’s favor in 2017, resulting in significant unsealing of court documents, which further implicated both Epstein and Maxwell. In depositions, Giuffre provided details about how Maxwell trained her to “please” Epstein and made logistical arrangements for the sexual encounters. Giuffre explained that Maxwell was involved in recruiting other girls and “rewarding” those who brought in new victims, describing a pyramid scheme of abuse.
Giuffre did not testify at Maxwell’s criminal trial.
Victims, like Maria Farmer, still live with the threats Maxwell made to them while she facilitated their abuse.
“She assured me that I could be killed walking down my favorite path in NYC,” Farmer said. “….Her threats have never left my mind, and I believe she will harm me if she ever has a way. Please keep this in mind when determining her terms of imprisonment. She is a very dangerous and devious individual.”
Another survivor, Sarah Ransome, who was recruited at age 22, said Epstein and Maxwell threatened to kill her family if she tried to escape. After fleeing to the UK in 2007, Ransome told the judge she has proof Epstein searched for her a decade later.
The Department of Justice recognized that Epstein had over 1,000 victims in the July memo.
Jeffrey Epstein made substantial financial payments to Maxwell totaling at least $30.7 million between 1999 and 2007, with prosecutors stating he transferred approximately $23 million to her during the timeframe of their criminal conspiracy.
Court testimony revealed that their romance ended in the early 2000s when Maxwell stopped working directly for Epstein and they no longer appeared together at his Manhattan office.
Maxwell continued managing Epstein’s properties and social affairs. In her 2016 deposition, she admitted she didn’t cut ties with Epstein after he was convicted in 2008 and was still involved in business relating to his properties, but emails show they remained in touch at least through 2015.
The jury in Maxwell’s criminal trial was unanimous in their verdict, consisting of 12 jurors (6 women and 6 men) who deliberated for approximately 40 hours across six days before reaching their decision on December 29, 2021.
Guilty Verdicts:
- Count 1: Conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Count 4: Transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Count 5: Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors
- Count 6: Sex trafficking of a minor
Not Guilty Verdict:
- Count 2: Enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
