A US federal judge has rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s attempt to overturn her five felony convictions, describing her post-conviction claims as “meritless” and “frivolous,” Al Jazeera reported.
In a 67-page opinion made public Tuesday, Judge Paul Engelmayer denied Maxwell’s petition challenging her convictions and sentence.
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Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year prison term for helping convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage girls over more than a decade. She is currently eligible for release in 2037.
A jury convicted Maxwell in December 2021 on five felony counts. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the verdict in 2024, while the US Supreme Court declined to hear her further appeal last October.
Representing herself, Maxwell filed her latest challenge under Section 2255, a federal law that allows convicted defendants to contest their sentences. Engelmayer, who did not oversee Maxwell’s original trial, described the filing as lengthy and rambling.
Maxwell cites newly released Epstein files
Much of Maxwell’s petition relied on documents made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November 2025 and requiring the US Justice Department to release records related to Epstein.
Maxwell argued that the newly released material supported claims that her constitutional rights had been violated during her trial and sentencing.
The judge rejected that argument, saying the released documents did not help Maxwell’s case.
Instead, Engelmayer said the materials either incriminated her or reinforced the validity of the legal decisions she was challenging.
The judge also pointed to contradictions in Maxwell’s account concerning her role in Epstein’s activities.
Maxwell argued that she had largely left Epstein’s household by 2002 in challenging a sentencing enhancement that increased her prison term because prosecutors considered her to have played a leadership role in his scheme.
However, during a July 2025 interview with then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Maxwell said she continued managing Epstein’s properties and staff years later.
Judge rejects claims of unfair prosecution
Maxwell also argued that she had been unfairly singled out while other people associated with Epstein were not prosecuted.
Engelmayer rejected that claim, noting that Maxwell had not identified another person whom she believed should have been charged with participating in the child sex abuse scheme. He also pointed out that her own filing did not concede Epstein’s culpability.
The judge characterized the prosecution against Maxwell as exceptionally strong and said any appeal of his ruling would not be taken in good faith.
Maxwell remains incarcerated under her 20-year sentence.
