The family of Ghislaine Maxwell has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up her case, alleging that federal prosecutors reneged on a prior agreement not to pursue charges related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell’s siblings claim the British socialite “did not receive a fair trial” and remains behind bars due to “a promise the U.S. government made and broke.” They stated that her legal team plans to file a formal response to the government’s opposition in the Supreme Court and may also pursue a writ of habeas corpus in federal court, based on alleged government misconduct.

Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Marcus, also claimed that he believed the case could hinge on a federal deal struck in 2007 with Epstein, a deal he claims should have shielded Maxwell as an alleged “co-conspirator,” per The New York Post.

The Breakdown:

  • Maxwell’s family alleges she is in prison due to a broken deal by federal prosecutors.
  • Maxwell’s family is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court and says they may also file a habeas corpus motion.
  • Her lawyer claims the 2007 non-prosecution agreement with Epstein should have protected her.
  • Prosecutors argue the agreement only applied to Florida’s federal district.
  • The FBI recently said its Epstein review found no evidence of foul play or blackmail.

“I’d be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal,” Marcus reportedly said. “He’s the ultimate dealmaker—and I’m sure he’d agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it.”

Marcus added, “With all the talk about who’s being prosecuted and who isn’t, it’s especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the U.S. government made and broke,” per NYP.

The Maxwell family said they “profoundly concur” with Marcus’s remarks.

Maxwell, 63, was convicted in 2021 by a Manhattan federal jury of grooming and abusing young women in a sex-trafficking scheme connected to Epstein, who was her longtime associate. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York have successfully argued that the 2007 deal, which permitted Epstein to serve a 13-month jail sentence in Florida with work-release privileges, was only binding on prosecutors in that jurisdiction. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Maxwell’s argument earlier this year, leaving the Supreme Court as her final venue for appeal.

The Maxwell family’s statement comes shortly after the FBI and DOJ concluded a “systematic review” of the Epstein case. That review, released in an unsigned memo, asserted there was “no credible evidence” Epstein was murdered, nor that he blackmailed public figures, maintained a “client list,” or withheld evidence warranting further prosecution.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is under scrutiny for walking back earlier comments that suggested her office might release a tranche of documents related to Epstein. House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled support this week for congressional efforts to subpoena the DOJ for those files.

“It’s a very delicate subject,” Johnson said on a podcast Tuesday, “but we should put everything out there and let the people decide.”