Ghislaine Maxwell has renewed her effort to overturn her 2021 sex-trafficking conviction, arguing that millions of documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act reveal constitutional and legal flaws that undermine the case against her.
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In a petition unsealed on Wednesday, Maxwell said records disclosed by the U.S. Justice Department since the law took effect in November have significantly altered the evidence available in her case. She argued that the newly released material would have affected the jury's assessment of the evidence and witness testimony presented at trial.
Newly Released Files Cited in Legal Challenge
Maxwell, 64, is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Texas after being convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein recruit and abuse underage girls.
Representing herself, she asked the court to vacate her conviction or reduce her sentence. She also requested an evidentiary hearing, arguing that further examination of the newly available material is necessary.
Claims of Withheld Evidence and False Testimony
Maxwell's filing contends that documents released from the Epstein files support longstanding allegations that prosecutors withheld relevant evidence, witnesses provided false testimony, and lawyers representing Epstein's victims played an improper role during the criminal proceedings.
She argued that the cumulative effect of the disclosures creates a substantially different evidentiary record from the one considered during her trial, appeal and previous legal reviews.
According to Maxwell, the court should assess the newly released information as a whole rather than examining each piece of evidence separately.
She also noted that many of the documents became public only after her conviction through a transparency process that did not exist during her trial.
Prosecutors Reject Allegations
Federal prosecutors strongly disputed Maxwell's claims in a nearly 100-page response filed in May and unsealed alongside her petition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz described Maxwell's arguments as speculative, factually incorrect and procedurally barred. Prosecutors said she was attempting to overturn a conviction reached through a lawful jury verdict and maintained that the purported new evidence does not justify relief.
The government acknowledged that some documents now publicly available had not been obtained by Maxwell's defense team before trial. However, prosecutors argued that none of those records demonstrated constitutional violations or would have changed the outcome of the case.
Pomerantz wrote that Maxwell had failed to meet the legal burden required to overturn her conviction and sentence, adding that the victims deserve finality.
Limited Options Remain
Maxwell previously exhausted her direct appeals and filed a habeas petition in December, citing what she described as substantial new evidence. The original petition raised several claims, including alleged juror misconduct and suppression of evidence.
Earlier this year, she received permission to amend her arguments following the release of more than three million Epstein-related files.
U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer declined Maxwell's request to require the Justice Department to provide her direct access to the records. Maxwell, who lacks internet access in prison, said she relied largely on media reports when preparing her amended filing.
If the judge rejects her petition, Maxwell has asked that the case be certified for appeal. Should her habeas challenge ultimately fail, her remaining legal options would likely be limited to seeking clemency or a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Trump has said he has not considered granting Maxwell a pardon, though he has not ruled out the possibility.
Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 and died in custody the following month. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 25 June 2026
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