Pam Bondi tells House committee Ghislaine Maxwell deserves no clemency, should ‘die in prison’

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Attorney General Pam Bondi told House lawmakers during a closed-door interview on Friday, May 29, that Ghislaine Maxwell should “die in prison” and should not receive a presidential pardon, according to accounts of her testimony provided after the session. 

Bondi’s comments were not a new position. While still serving as attorney general earlier this year, she made similar remarks when questioned by lawmakers about Maxwell’s incarceration and the possibility of clemency. Her latest testimony before the House Oversight Committee reaffirmed that stance even after leaving office.

Pam Bondi reaffirms position on Ghislaine Maxwell during closed-door testimony

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told reporters after Bondi’s interview that the former attorney general repeatedly argued Maxwell should remain incarcerated for the rest of her life. According to Dhillon, Bondi said Maxwell was “very evil,” should not have her sentence commuted, and should not receive a presidential pardon.

Dhillon also said Bondi expressed strong views about Maxwell’s role in Epstein’s crimes. “Females who collaborate with offenders are worse because they procure other victims,” the assistant AG said Bondi told lawmakers.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence following her 2021 conviction on federal charges connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi expressed a nearly identical view while still attorney general during a February congressional hearing, when she stated that Maxwell “will hopefully die in prison.”

At that hearing, Bondi also distanced herself from decisions surrounding Maxwell’s transfer from a federal facility in Florida to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas, saying she learned of the move only after it occurred.

Clemency debate continues as Trump leaves door open

Earlier this year, Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a congressional deposition. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, later suggested there was a path to obtaining additional testimony from his client.

“If this Committee and the American public truly want to hear the unfiltered truth about what happened, there is a straightforward path,” Markus said. “Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.” Markus also asserted that Maxwell would testify that both Trump and former President Bill Clinton were “innocent of any wrongdoing.”

The clemency issue has created a notable divide among senior Trump-era figures. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers this month that he would not recommend a pardon. “Yes, I can commit to that, of course,” Blanche said when asked whether he would oppose recommending clemency for Maxwell.

Trump, however, has never categorically ruled out the possibility. When asked previously about a pardon, he said, “I don’t rule it in or out.” White House officials have repeatedly stated that clemency is not currently under consideration.