The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass a resolution expressing opposition to a potential presidential pardon or clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, the associate of deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein who is currently incarcerated for sex-trafficking offenses involving minors. The measure was introduced by Senator Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, and states that Maxwell “should not be granted a Presidential pardon or any form of clemency for her crimes.”
While Senate resolutions are non-binding and carry symbolic weight, Rosen’s office indicated when the measure was first introduced earlier this year that it was intended to “put the Senate on record opposing the prospect” of clemency being granted. During floor debate, Rosen characterized the potential for such clemency as “frankly horrifying.” By declining to object, Republican senators agreed to the resolution, which asserts that granting Maxwell clemency would be “inconsistent with the interests of justice and accountability for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.”
The resolution’s passage occurred as the Senate considered the nomination of Todd Blanche to permanently serve as attorney general. The timing was noted by supporters as sending “a clear message to the White House” regarding Maxwell. The measure comes after Maxwell exhausted her appeals process, with the Supreme Court declining to hear her petition last October.
Maxwell’s legal team sought her cooperation with a House committee investigation into Epstein in exchange for clemency discussions. In April, reports indicated that congressional committee members disagreed about whether Trump should consider pardoning Maxwell as part of negotiations over her testimony. During a May hearing, Blanche stated he would not recommend a pardon for Maxwell, though questions remained about a prison transfer she received and an interview Blanche conducted with her the previous summer.
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