Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell filed a petition in federal court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn her conviction and vacate her 20-year prison sentence.
Maxwell was convicted on federal charges tied to her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In the petition, Maxwell argued that newly uncovered evidence undermine the fairness of her trial. She also alleged constitutional violations in her 2021 trial.
“This newly available evidence derived from litigation against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, various financial institutions, and the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein, as well as from sworn depositions, released records, and other verified sources-shows that exculpatory information was withheld, false testimony presented, and material facts misrepresented to the jury and the Court,” the petition reads.
Maxwell’s claims of juror misconduct has previously failed to sway the court. Following Maxwell’s conviction, one juror publicly acknowledged that they failed to disclose their own experience of sexual abuse during jury selection. In the new petition, Maxwell says these “misrepresentations establish both intentional concealment and actual bias.” She contends that new evidence strengthens those allegations.
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The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of the Department of Justice and its handling of Epstein-related records. A law enacted last month that orders the Justice Department to release a broad set of sealed investigative materials tied to Epstein and his associates. Federal judges in New York and Florida have already started authorizing the unsealing of grand jury transcripts and exhibits under the new statute, including in Maxwell’s 2021 case.
