Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has been transferred from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed on Friday.
Maxwell, 62, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. Her transfer from FCI Tallahassee to the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, comes just one week after a meeting with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. According to sources familiar with the matter, the meeting was part of ongoing efforts to investigate additional individuals potentially involved in Epstein's crimes, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, confirmed the transfer but declined to comment further. The U.S. Department of Justice has not yet issued a statement.
During an interview with Newsmax on Friday, former President Donald Trump was asked about a potential pardon for Maxwell. “I’m allowed to do it, but nobody’s asked me to do it,” Trump said. “I know nothing about the case.” When questioned about Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell, Trump added, “I believe he just wants to make sure innocent people aren’t hurt if documents from the Epstein probe are released.”
The Federal Bureau of Prisons classifies camps like Bryan as minimum-security facilities— the lowest security level in the federal system—typically with little to no perimeter fencing. In contrast, FCI Tallahassee, where Maxwell was previously held, is a low-security facility with higher staff-to-inmate ratios and secured perimeters.
BOP spokesperson Donald Murphy did not elaborate on the reasons for Maxwell's transfer, citing standard protocol. He stated that inmate placements are determined by factors including the required level of security and supervision.
The timing of Maxwell’s transfer comes as pressure mounts on the Justice Department to release documents related to the Epstein investigation. Congressional Democrats and some conservative supporters of Trump have both called for transparency in the case.
Federal prosecutors are currently seeking court approval to unseal grand jury transcripts tied to the indictments of both Epstein and Maxwell. These records, typically kept confidential, could shed light on previously undisclosed elements of the case. Two federal judges in Manhattan are expected to rule on the matter, with legal filings due Tuesday.
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty. Maxwell, convicted in 2021 of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein, maintains her innocence and is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.
