The chances that President Donald Trump will pardon Ghislaine Maxwell have increased this week, according to betting odds.
Maxwell is the imprisoned accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges. The gradual release of millions of pages of Epstein‑related documents has kept public interest in the case and has sparked intense scrutiny of high-profile figures. Hundreds of names appear in the files, and being named does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing.
Maxwell is a key witness and could have further information that would help investigations into those connected to Epstein. But she has frustrated lawmakers recently by not cooperating with interviews. She invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an appearance before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in February.
Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said Maxwell had used her constitutional rights. He cited a pending habeas petition, challenging her imprisonment and alleging serious flaws in her criminal trial.
A president has the power to issue pardons for federal criminal convictions and, speaking to POLITICO on Wednesday, Republican House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer said members of the committee were divided on whether Trump should pardon Maxwell in exchange for her cooperating with the panel.
On the betting platform Polymarket, the chances of Maxwell receiving a pardon by the end of 2026 have since surged from 7 percent on Monday to as high as 22 percent on Friday before dropping slightly to 17 percent at the time of writing.
When asked about the possibility of Trump pardoning Maxwell, a White House spokesperson referred Newsweek to a November 2025 press conference where White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “It’s not something he’s talking about or even thinking about at this moment in time.”
The office also referred Newsweek to comments Trump made to reporters in the same month, where he said he had not thought about a pardon for Maxwell.
Why Is Ghislaine Maxwell in Prison?
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term after being convicted of her role in luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. She is currently serving the sentence at a prison camp in Texas after being quietly moved from a federal prison in Florida last year.
Maxwell has consistently denied wrongdoing and continues to challenge her conviction through the appeals process.
Comer said “a lot of people” thought it was a favorable deal to pardon Maxwell in exchange for testimony.
“My committee’s split on that,” he said, but did not name those who were for and against the arrangement.
However, he did disclose that he was against the proposal.
“I think it looks bad,” he said. “Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell.”
What Has Trump Said About a Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon?
In July 2025, Trump told a reporter, “It’s something I haven’t thought about,” when asked about whether he had considered giving a pardon or commutation to Maxwell.
“I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about,” he said.
Later that day, he said, “A lot of people are asking me about pardons. Obviously, This is no time to be talking about pardons. But a lot of people have asked about pardons. This is just not the time to be talking about pardons.”
Three months later, in October 2025, Trump said he would “take a look” at a pardon for Maxwell. His comments came after the Supreme Court rejected Maxwell’s appeal to overturn her conviction.
Speaking during an Oval Office event focused on approving a new mining road in Alaska, Trump told reporters he hadn’t “heard the name in so long” and would “take a look at it.”
What Have Other People Have Said About a Pardon for Maxwell ?
California Representative Robert Garcia, the Oversight panel’s top Democrat told POLITICO that committee Democrats opposed a pardon for Maxwell.
“That would be a huge step backwards, and, quite frankly, so disrespectful to the survivors,” he said. “She is a known abuser. She is a known liar.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Georgia Republican who had a public breakup with Trump largely over the handling of the Epstein files, said she was “shocked” some GOP members were supporting a Maxwell pardon.
Writing on X, Greene, who was once a fierce ally to the president and resigned from Congress this year, wrote, “The Epstein survivors are adamantly against her receiving a pardon as she was one of their main abusers next to Jeffrey Epstein and they say she is a serial liar.”
She continued: “If Trump gives her a pardon, it sets up a very potential quid pro quo. She will owe Trump and she will lie to protect people he ask her to.”
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