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Ghislaine Maxwell, the former companion of Jeffrey Epstein, who was found guilty of facilitating the trafficking of young girls, is reportedly preparing to petition for her release from prison, according to recent court documents.
In a submission made to Judge Paul Engelmayer on Wednesday, Maxwell’s legal representative, David Oscar Markus, indicated that the former socialite intends to file a habeas corpus petition. This legal maneuver aims to secure her release from the facility where she is currently serving a 20-year sentence. Notably, Maxwell plans to proceed “pro se,” meaning she will represent herself without the assistance of a lawyer.
Markus’s letter was a response to a request from the Justice Department to disclose grand jury transcripts and amend a protective order related to Maxwell’s criminal proceedings.
In his communication, Markus stated that Maxwell does not have a definitive stance on the release of these documents. However, he cautioned that making the grand jury materials public—materials he described as containing allegations that have not been independently verified—could severely prejudice any potential retrial if Maxwell’s petition for release is successful.
The court filing did not specify the arguments Maxwell would present to justify her release. Attempts to reach Markus for further comment were unsuccessful. Recently, the Supreme Court declined to hear Maxwell’s appeal against her conviction and sentencing.
Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking minors in 2021. She was held at a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida, but moved to a less restrictive minimum-security prison in Bryan, Texas, following a two-day interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche this summer. The transfer ignited controversy over whether she was receiving preferential treatment to help the administration.
Markus has previously denied that Maxwell is seeking a pardon. Trump has said he’d have to “take a look” at whether he would grant her one.
The Trump administration has been under fire for not releasing records related to its investigations into Epstein and Maxwell. After months of refusing to give the public access to the records, Trump reversed course last month and signed a bill overwhelmingly supported in Congress, requiring the release of records within 30 days.
The Justice Department asked the judges overseeing the Epstein and Maxwell cases to release grand jury transcripts and modify protective orders that would allow them to make public financial records, travel documents, search warrants, and notes from victim interviews.
On Wednesday, lawyers for Epstein’s estate told the judge they do not take a position as to the unsealing of records given the government’s “commitment” to redacting victim and personally identifying information.