Comer: Committee Split on Maxwell Pardon for Epstein Info
Should Maxwell serve her full sentence for justice or receive clemency to expose Epstein's network?
Story
Above: U.S. Rep. James Comer on March 18, 2026. Image credit: Heather Diehl/Getty Images
The Facts
- U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) told Politico that members of his panel are divided over whether President Donald Trump should pardon Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation in the committee's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
- Maxwell, the only convicted associate in Epstein's sex trafficking case, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a committee deposition in February. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, has said she would only cooperate if granted clemency by Trump, who has not ruled out a pardon.
- Comer said that he personally opposes a pardon, stating it "looks bad" and that Maxwell is "the worst person in this whole investigation" aside from Epstein. He declined to name which committee members support the deal.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Narrative A
Pardoning Maxwell would be a gross miscarriage of justice that spits in the face of over 1,000 survivors. The DOJ already botched the Epstein files release, withheld 2.5 million records and exposed victims' names. Rewarding Maxwell with clemency doubles down on that failure.
Narrative B
Silencing Maxwell through imprisonment means the full truth about Epstein's network stays buried. Clemency is the only realistic path to getting the unfiltered account the public actually deserves after her trial was tarnished by juror lies and broken government promises.
Metaculus Prediction
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.18.3
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.18.3