House Republicans say they are open to pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted sex trafficking partner. Her victims testified. A jury convicted her.
Now House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is publicly saying "a lot of people" in his caucus think trading her freedom for testimony against Epstein co-conspirators is a worthwhile exchange. He said this on the record. To Politico.
What Comer Actually Said
On Wednesday, Comer told Politico the Oversight Committee is split on the idea of a pardon-for-cooperation deal. He said he personally opposes the trade because the "optics look bad." That is the entire frame Republicans on this committee can muster: not "we will not free a convicted child sex trafficker," but "people might be mad if we do."
Robert Garcia, the committee's Democratic ranking member, said the Democrats are unanimously opposed. Every one of them. There is no split on his side.
Maxwell's Play
Maxwell appeared via video in a closed-door committee deposition in February. She invoked the Fifth Amendment over and over. Her lawyer signaled she would only give fuller testimony if granted clemency. In other words, she is sitting on whatever she knows about who else used Epstein's network and using it as leverage for her own freedom.
She is currently serving a 20-year sentence from her 2021 sex trafficking conviction. The trial established beyond reasonable doubt that she recruited and groomed underage girls for Epstein. The conviction is final. The victims are real. The sentence is the floor, not the ceiling.
What a Pardon Would Actually Do
A presidential pardon erases the federal conviction. Maxwell walks out of FCI Tallahassee. The 20-year sentence ends. Civil consequences (her victims' lawsuits) survive a pardon, but the criminal punishment does not.
It would also send a clear message: the rules of justice do not apply to people who can offer a politician something they want. In this case, presumably, names. Names of people who used Epstein's island. Names of donors. Names of presidents.
"A lot of people on the committee believe it would be a worthwhile exchange." — Rep. James Comer, House Oversight Chairman, to Politico
The Bargain Republicans Are Considering
Trade a convicted child sex trafficker's freedom for testimony that may or may not name names that may or may not embarrass other powerful men. The committee is divided. The president has the pardon power. The fact that this is on the table at all, that "a lot of people" think it is "worthwhile," tells you everything you need to know about the moral floor of the GOP caucus on Epstein.
Maxwell's victims testified once already. Their testimony put her in prison. Republicans now considering trading her freedom for fresh testimony are saying, in effect, that the original testimony did not count enough.
Sources
- The New Republic: Some House Republicans Want Trump to Pardon Ghislaine Maxwell
- House Oversight Democrats: Ranking Member Garcia Statement
- US News: Oversight Chair says some panel members open to pardon
- The Daily Beast: Top Republican Confirms Lawmakers Considering Maxwell Pardon
- Mediaite: House Oversight Committee Republicans Split
Written by Impeach 47. Tracking the Cabinet enablers, the billionaires cheering them on, and the politicians considering trades like this one.
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