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SAN DIEGO — Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer on Friday acknowledged that she is continuing to seek a pardon from President Donald Trump in the wake of the release of the Epstein files.
The remarks from Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, came during an on-stage conversation at an American Bar Association conference with Barry Pollack, the attorney for another high-profile defendant, deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
During a discussion about their media strategy in which Markus derided reporting about Maxwell’s prison transfer to what some outlets have described as a “country club”-like prison facility, Pollack suggested one goal in talking to reporters might be to alter the public perception of a defendant in hopes of leniency from the president.
“I can imagine, for example, maybe you’re hoping — not in that case, but in a case — to get a presidential pardon or commutation,” Pollack said, at which point Markus interjected with a smirk to say, “that case, too.”
Pollack continued: “and maybe if the public hates your client, thinks that you’ve already gotten a sweetheart deal, it may be politically more difficult for the president to do that. But maybe if you set the record straight a little bit, it’s a little easier.”
Markus has publicly advocated for a pardon or clemency for Maxwell, including when she invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer questions before the House Oversight Committee in early February. “Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump,” Markus said at the time.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in facilitating and participating in late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation. The Supreme Court hhas declined to take up her appeal of her convictions.
The attorneys also discussed hate mail they’ve received as a result of their representation of controversial clients, with Markus reading aloud an email he said he received earlier in the week from an anonymous sender with the address “Todd Blanche sucks at gmail dot com,” referring to the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Only a child predator would represent Ghislaine Maxwell,” the email read, according to Markus. “She should be on death row, rotting away and getting beaten up, and you should be there with her.”
Pollack said, jokingly, that in the Maduro case, most of the commentary he receives is in Spanish, “so I don’t understand what they’re saying, I just assume that is lauding me for speaking up for the rule of law.” Federal prosecutors charged Maduro with drug trafficking and narcoterrorism conspiracy after U.S. forces seized him from Caracas in January.
Markus also asked Pollack about a roadblock in the Maduro case regarding licenses that would allow Maduro and the government of Venezuela to sidestep sanctions in order to pay Pollack for his legal representation.
In court filings, Pollack has said the Trump administration’s Office of Foreign Assets Control suddenly — and without explanation — revoked licenses it had issued to allow Venezuela to pay Maduro’s lawyers, leaving him unable to afford representation. As a result, Pollack has asked a federal judge to dismiss the Maduro indictment.
“There have been some bumps along the road towards getting that license,” Pollack said. “SOnly a child predator would represent Ghislaine Maxwell,” the email read, according to Markus. “She should be on death row, rotting away and getting beaten up, and you should be there with her.”
Pollack said, jokingly, that in the Maduro case, most of the commentary he receives is in Spanish, “so I don’t understand what they’re saying, I just assume that is lauding me for speaking up for the rule of law.” Federal prosecutors charged Maduro with drug trafficking and narcoterrorism conspiracy after U.S. forces seized him from Caracas in January.
Markus also asked Pollack about a roadblock in the Maduro case regarding licenses that would allow Maduro and the government of Venezuela to sidestep sanctions in order to pay Pollack for his legal representation.
In court filings, Pollack has said the Trump administration’s Office of Foreign Assets Control suddenly — and without explanation — revoked licenses it had issued to allow Venezuela to pay Maduro’s lawyers, leaving him unable to afford representation. As a result, Pollack has asked a federal judge to dismiss the Maduro indictment.
“There have been some bumps along the road towards getting that license,” Pollack said. “
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