Donald Trump and his allies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have been under immense pressure to disclose more information about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, especially amid scrutiny over the extent of Trump’s relationship with Epstein. The splits over what to do with Maxwell illustrate the complicated challenge posed by the scandal for Trump, his Maga base, and the broader Republican party.
Johnson weighed in on the possibility of a pardon after Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, met with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. The one-time British socialite was Epstein’s close confidante for years and his partner-in-crime. Epstein killed himself in jail in 2019.
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has been pushing for disclosure of more Epstein information, said a pardon should be on the table for Maxwell. He would be in favor of if she has information that could help us, but he did not support a pardon for Maxwell, who was charged with perjury in connection to a civil deposition in 2016.
After Trump pledged to disclose more information about Epstein on the campaign trail, the justice department said earlier this month it had determined Epstein did not have a “client list” and did not blackmail anyone. Johnson adjourned the US House of Representatives early last week to avoid a vote on releasing Epstein files. He favored “maximum disclosure,” arguing that the legislation being pushed by Massie and Khanna would require the release of uncorroborated information and could harm the victims of Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes.
