To Trump’s dismay Epstein is back in the news, albeit via Epstein’s literal partner in crime Ghislaine Maxwell. This is a breaking story so guessing at how this will affect the Epstein Scandal and the Trump administration is just that. Guesses and nothing more. When SCOTUS denies Cert (refuses to hear a case) it’s usually with little fanfare. A single sentence on letterhead signed by the clerk saying the petitioners motion has been denied. I rather doubt that over time this will be the end of this particular story.
Let’s start with the basic facts. Ghislaine Maxwell was Jeffery Epstein’s partner in almost every way imaginable. In including sexual abuse and tracking, usually with underage teenage girls as victims. I won’t go into all the sordid history, nor engage in a lengthy discussion of that sweetheart deal then U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta worked out for him. A strong federal case was buried and Epstein got a plea deal in state court. Sweetheart guilty plea deal in exchange for the U.S. Attorney’s Office down there in that part of Florida dropping it’s own case.
As this article from NBC News explains Maxwell felt like she was part of the deal. However the larger issue is that the deal was limited to THAT jurisdiction. When Epstein got hauled up again over a decade later he tried to have the larger (since he, and Maxwell too) committed crimes in multiple jurisdictions. The problem was, in keeping it all hush-hush to avoid making a lot of rich and powerful men uncomfortable Acosta didn’t talk to others U.S. Attorneys, including up in Epstein’s main stomping grounds in New York City. Maxwell’s own appeal brought this out:
Maxwell’s lawyer David Oscar Markus argued in court papers that an agreement Epstein made with prosecutors in Florida, in which the then-U.S. attorney pledged not to prosecute him or potential co-conspirators, should apply to one of the three counts in her case, which was prosecuted in New York.
Markus whined and complained about SCOTUS’ ruling – he tried to apply the same legal ‘reasoning’ on Maxwell’s behalf that didn’t work for Epstein himself He never had a chance and not even Trump’s lapdog John Sauer tried to help Maxwell out:
At issue in Maxwell’s appeal was whether the terms of a so-called nonprosecution agreement apply only in the district where it was negotiated or also bind federal prosecutors nationwide.
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to reject Maxwell’s appeal, with Solicitor General D. John Sauer noting in his brief that under internal policies, the U.S. attorney would have needed to obtain permission from superiors if the agreement were to apply outside his district. There is no evidence that occurred, he added.
Ouch. Not even Sauer would pitch in and help out Trump’s pal. And yes, Maxwell was TRUMP’S pal just like Epstein was. I’m not sure what her lawyer thinks he will be able to do at this point. SCOTUS has just told him and his client to go pound sand. I’m better Maxwell is truly shocked given how she played the system and Trump to get herself transferred into a minimum security prison with lots of privileges. It’s a helluva lot better than she deserves but that’s where things could get interesting.
Maxwell wanted her case dismissed but didn’t put all her eggs in the SCOTUS basket given the crazy caving they’ve done to Trump. Still, I thought it was even odds they might let her off the hook. However her crimes show how ruthless she is and she made a deal for transfer to a much nicer prison (one the DOJ rules says those convicted of sex crimes aren’t eligible for) in exchange for a ‘UnicornSparkleFarts’ statement about what a great, moral and upstanding guy Trump always has been and that there can’t possibly be ANY evidence of wrongdoing on his part.
That of course was a precursor to what we know is coming – a pardon. Let’s face it, the only way that doesn’t happen is if Trump keels over from a heart attack or stroke and is dead before he hits the ground like the wet sack of nasty excrement he is. And THAT friends is where the speculation, GUESSING comes into play. Maxwell got what she wanted as in out of the kind of prison environment she belonged in. However her current digs were/are for her just a waystation to walking out of prison and onto a private jet at the nearest airfield that can hold one for a flight out of the country!
She now knows SCOTUS won’t help her. She’s also smart enough to realize Sauer’s brief indicates Trump feels like his deal with her was to move her out of a rough prison into a relatively cushy one. Until his last day in office when he’d pardon her. Maxwell however is likely starting to see things differently. Already pissed about not already having been pardoned or at least having her sentence commuted to time served can see Trump’s mental and physical devolvement just like the rest of us. Yep, she has access to current news both print and electronic in her minimum security prison.
I keep saying how Trump so often looks so ghastly he needs to, as an old saying goes ‘get better just to die.’ I don’t see Vance giving Maxwell the time of day. Also, time is running out on Mike Johnson regarding keeping the Epstein filed bottled up. The whole scandal will blow up again once the shutdown is over. Maxwell might look at Sauer in nice, neat legal terms tossing her under the bus and worry she’ll be sent back to maximum security. Both to control access to her (or worse, make it easier for her to under ‘mysterious circumstances’ find herself joining Epstein in hell) or to toss a bone to MAGAs. And everyone else. Or both.
SCOTUS has just given Trump and Bondi (and others) an off-ramp to the mess they created by moving Maxwell to minimum security. With her appeals exhausted it gives Bondi an excuse to ‘review’ Maxwell’s status and we’ll get to see the DOJ ruling that a sex offender can’t do their time in a minimum security prison. I’ve suggested in the past Maxwell has a fail-safe. A set of information and in multiple places with people who don’t know about each other protecting it that would bury Trump and plenty of others. If Maxwell thinks she’s truly done for she just might go politically (and legally) nuclear.
Again, that’s pure speculation but it’s something to keep in the back of your mind. For now what matters is that Maxwell could get a lousy FOUR Justices to agree to hear her appeal. She’s toast and will have to serve out her sentence unless Trump steps in. If he doesn’t the ‘hell hath no fury’ explosion with be a sight to see. Again, this is pure speculation on my part but I just don’t see Maxwell ‘going quietly into that good night.’ Nope. I see her as more of a ‘If I go down I’m taking all you sonsabitches with me’ type. She might not live to see it but if she’s got the kind of plan waiting to be carried out I believe she does Trump and a lot of his cronies will rue Trump not having sucked it up, pardoned her and cleared a flight path for her out of the country!
Well, like I said I’ve offered up a lot of speculation. What’s NOT is the FACT that Maxwell’s legal case is over. The appellate ruling stands and she has to server her sentence. DOJ itself says sex offenders can’t serve time in minimum security. So enforce the damn rules. Maxwell no longer has the legal fig-leaf of a pending SCOTUS appeal to hide behind. Send he despicable ass back to maximum security where she belongs!
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i don’t think doj contesting her appeal was necessarily directed at maxwell, it just sounds like the kibd of precedent they wouldn’t want to set. as for doj rules, they are whatever bondi says they are. renember that she, patel and othees have seen the epstein material and are perfectly ok with protecting trump.
and i heard somewhere that trump is planning to classify the whole thing. personally i think bill barr probably scrubbed the files of anything seriously bad about trump during trump’s first term. other than protecting trump, and maybe others, there was no reason for rhe attorney general to take such an interest in the case.
Meanwhile, Trump could pardon Maxwell tomorrow and be done with it. That would relieve any stress felt by the scummy “elite” filling those elusive files and get Maxwell out of the States to some warm non-extradition refuge. Sure there’d be some outrage and noise but we all know the MAGAts and GOP don’t give a rat’s ass what corruption Trump commits and the Dems can’t maintain indignation long when trying to deal with all of Trump’s theatricals so the dust would soon settle. Job done.