Ghislaine Maxwell seeks to overturn conviction, potentially affecting the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Ghislaine Maxwell has filed a petition with the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, requesting the court to overturn her conviction for sex trafficking and the 20-year prison sentence associated with her role in facilitating Jeffrey Epstein’s exploitation of teenage girls. The petition comes amidst a backdrop of significant scrutiny regarding the investigative materials related to Epstein being made public under a recently passed federal law.

In her habeas petition, Maxwell, who is self-representing, argues that newly surfaced information from related lawsuits and various government disclosures evidences that her incarceration is unjustifiable. She contends that these constitutional violations collectively point to a miscarriage of justice that undermines the validity of her conviction.

This latest legal maneuver not only seeks to secure Maxwell’s release but could also influence the anticipated publication of the so-called “Epstein files,” which include extensive investigative documents compiled by federal authorities. The Justice Department is required to disclose these materials by a deadline this Friday, as stipulated by legislation enacted by Congress. However, the law includes provisions designed to protect sensitive evidence that could impact ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.

Maxwell’s original conviction was upheld by the federal appeals court in September 2024, with the Supreme Court declining to take up her case shortly thereafter. In her current petition, Maxwell, 63, presents nine arguments aimed at demonstrating that her conviction is unconstitutional. These include claims that the prosecution suppressed crucial evidence and allegations about the credibility of some jurors. She reiterates assertions made previously in her appeals, maintaining that biased jurors affected the verdict and that a controversial plea deal afforded to Epstein in the late 2000s should have offered her immunity from prosecution.

Maxwell has long suggested that she has been unfairly scapegoated, alleging that federal authorities sought someone to charge in the wake of Epstein’s death in August 2019, while he was awaiting trial. Her petition underscores this belief, referencing statements by former Attorney General Bill Barr regarding the government’s efforts to find a successor to Epstein as a target for trafficking charges.

In December 2021, Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking, conspiracy, and related offenses after a trial that included testimony from four women who detailed their experiences of grooming and abuse at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell. Currently, she is serving her sentence at a federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas, having been transferred there from a maximum-security facility earlier this summer. The unusual move followed meetings involving legal representatives linked to the previous administration, although Maxwell did not implicate any political figures during these discussions.

As Maxwell pursues this latest legal strategy, her options appear limited, with a potential commutation from former President Donald Trump possibly being her last recourse should her appeals fail. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has declined to comment on the matter.