• House Speaker Mike Johnson says clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell is a nonstarter, even as Trump’s DOJ seeks cooperation on Epstein’s elite client list. The pressure to release sealed files is mounting — but Johnson insists victims’ privacy must come first.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on Sunday publicly rejected any notion of presidential clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, even if she offers information about a long-rumored list of elite clients.

“It’s not my decision but I’d have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would do,” Mr. Johnson told NBC’s Meet the Press.

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Maxwell, sentenced in 2021 to 20 years in prison for her role in Epstein’s trafficking ring, is currently held in a minimum-security facility. She reportedly met twice last week with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, offering potential cooperation in exchange for leniency.

Johnson dismissed that idea outright, stating that Maxwell deserves a life sentence, and called her current term “a pittance.”

Pressure on Trump and the DOJ

Maxwell’s conversations with DOJ officials follow a renewed push for the Trump administration to release sealed Epstein files, which the former president promised to disclose during his campaign. However, significant portions of the evidence remain protected due to grand jury rules or were sealed by a federal judge in 2024 at the request of prosecutors.

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President Trump told reporters he has not decided whether to consider clemency or a pardon for Maxwell, saying the issue is still under review.

Maxwell is also pursuing legal avenues. Before speaking with the DOJ, she filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that her prosecution should have been barred under Epstein’s earlier plea deal — a claim lower courts have rejected.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a New York jail cell while awaiting federal trial.

Transparency vs. Protection

Speaker Johnson affirmed his party’s desire for “maximum disclosure” of the Epstein case, but he rejected a bipartisan bill mandating full public release, citing concerns over victim privacy and legal safeguards around grand jury materials.

“House Republicans believe they should have all of this information,” Johnson said. “But we have to protect the innocent… that’s the only safeguard here that we have to be diligent about. And I’m insistent upon doing so.”

Last week, Johnson ended the House session early, sending lawmakers home for August recess to avoid a floor vote forced by House Democrats on the Epstein files bill.

Should political convenience outweigh the public’s right to know — or the victims’ right to heal?

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