Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of disgraced financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, may be positioning herself for a presidential pardon after receiving what critics describe as preferential treatment in federal prison. Maxwell was recently transferred to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas following an unusual interview with the Justice Department in which she reportedly sought to distance President Donald Trump from Epstein’s crimes. The move has raised eyebrows among legal observers and advocates for Epstein’s victims, particularly as no administration officials have ruled out the possibility of a sentence commutation or pardon.

Speaking with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie Brown said Maxwell appears to be calculating her next steps carefully. Brown suggested Maxwell is acutely aware of the sensitive information she possesses about Epstein’s network and those who enabled his crimes. If a pardon does not materialize, Brown speculated that Maxwell could begin leaking damaging details as leverage, signaling to powerful figures that she “knows where the skeletons are buried.” According to Brown, Maxwell may be waiting to see how the political and legal landscape evolves before making her most aggressive move.

Ghislaine Maxwell may be angling for Trump pardon after prison transfer, reporter says