Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has been quietly transferred from a federal prison in Florida to another facility in Texas, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The move was not publicly announced by the Department of Justice or the Bureau of Prisons.
The relocation comes as Maxwell’s legal team petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn her conviction and seeks a presidential pardon or commutation from Donald Trump. Her legal counsel has reportedly suggested her cooperation in the Epstein investigation and broader sex trafficking cases could justify such clemency.
Maxwell recently spent two days in meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—formerly a personal defense attorney for Trump—at a courthouse near the Tallahassee prison where she had been serving a 20-year sentence.
“We can confirm that Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Bryan, Texas,” BOP spokesperson Benjamin O'Cone said in an email to *USA TODAY*. The New York Sun was the first to report her transfer.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, confirmed the relocation but declined to comment on the reasons behind the transfer or who requested it.
The move has raised concerns among the family of Virginia Giuffre, one of Maxwell’s most vocal accusers, who died by suicide in April. Giuffre’s family fears the transfer may be part of an undisclosed deal between the Justice Department and the Trump administration, potentially silencing Maxwell without consulting the many alleged victims who have accused Maxwell and Epstein of sexual abuse and trafficking.
“The family is scrambling right now to figure out what’s going on,” said family spokesperson Dini von Mueffling. “They don’t understand why this is happening.”
The transfer adds a new layer to the ongoing controversy surrounding Trump’s past relationships with both Epstein and Maxwell. Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was a longtime friend of Trump during the 1990s and early 2000s.
On July 30, Giuffre’s surviving family members issued a public statement urging the Trump administration to keep Maxwell behind bars and release all Justice Department records related to the Epstein case.
They were particularly disturbed by Trump’s recent remarks suggesting Epstein “stole” Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago, where she worked at the club’s spa over 20 years ago. “It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago,” the family said.
Trump told reporters that he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after learning he was attempting to recruit more of the club's employees. “I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people,” Trump said of Giuffre. “He stole her. And by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever.”
Giuffre had long asserted that it was Maxwell—Epstein’s former girlfriend and associate—who initially approached her at Mar-a-Lago and recruited her to work as a masseuse for Epstein. Giuffre later stated she was sexually abused by Epstein and trafficked to other men by Maxwell.
In their statement, Giuffre’s family clarified: “We would like to emphasize that it was convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell who targeted and preyed upon our then 16-year-old sister, Virginia, from Mar-a-Lago, where she was working in 2000—years before Epstein and President Trump had their falling out.”
When asked for comment, the White House told *USA TODAY* that no clemency is currently being offered or discussed for Maxwell. Trump has also stated publicly that he is not considering a pardon for her at this time.
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