Maxwell Family Condemns Judge’s Rejection of Post-Conviction Claims (8/30/26)

Ghislaine Maxwell’s family says she intends to continue fighting her conviction even after U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer rejected her latest effort to overturn it. In a statement released after the ruling, her relatives called the decision “disappointing and shocking” and accused the judge of using a tone they believed showed sarcasm and disdain toward Maxwell’s arguments. Engelmayer rejected all 10 of the principal claims Maxwell raised in her pro se petition, describing them as frivolous, meritless and, in some instances, based on speculation or outright falsehoods. Maxwell had argued that documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act exposed constitutional and legal violations that undermined her 2021 conviction, including alleged suppression of evidence, false testimony and improper involvement by attorneys representing Epstein’s victims. The judge rejected those claims without granting the evidentiary hearing Maxwell had requested and also declined to certify the case for appeal, finding that she had not made a substantial showing that her constitutional rights were violated.

Maxwell’s family nevertheless says she is not finished and is encouraging her to seek a certificate of appealability so she can take the case back to the Second Circuit. They maintain that Engelmayer’s ruling contains specific legal errors that deserve further review and say Maxwell will continue pursuing every available avenue. The judge, however, strongly defended the legitimacy of the prosecution, rejecting Maxwell’s claim that she had been selectively targeted as a substitute for Epstein after his death and writing that the evidence at trial established her knowing participation in enabling Epstein’s abuse of underage girls. Maxwell remains sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, her conviction has already been upheld by the Second Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court has previously declined to hear her case. Her latest challenge therefore leaves her in much the same legal position as before, but with her family making clear that they intend to keep pushing for another round of appellate review.



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