🔗 Share this article Ghislaine Maxwell Allegedly Seeking Clemency, Whistleblower Alleges to House Democrats Per recent claims from a whistleblower, Ghislaine Maxwell, now completing a 20-year prison term for sex-trafficking crimes, is allegedly readying a commutation application for review by the Trump administration. Preferential Handling Alleged at Federal Prison Congressional Democrats on the House judiciary committee announced that a whistleblower provided information indicating the inmate is preparing the clemency petition. Additionally, they mentioned she has been given preferential conditions at the minimum-security facility in the Lone Star State. Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House judiciary committee, declared in a news release that the facility's chief was assisting Maxwell with document preparation and submission to aid her effort for clemency. The exact content of the clemency request are unclear, Raskin added. Alleged Privileges and Special Accommodations Raskin states that, according to the whistleblower, Maxwell has been receiving “customized” meals that are hand-delivered to her living area, and the warden has “personally arranged” private meetings for her and her visitors. The visits allegedly include a “special cordoned-off area” for attendees and “an assortment of snacks and refreshments” for her associates. Maxwell’s visitors were also reportedly permitted to carry electronic devices, which Raskin described as an “unprecedented action” given the security risk and chance of unsupervised contact. Reportedly on one occasion, when phone lines went down for other prisoners, she was given specific instructions about who she should tell her contacts to contact and how personnel would relay the call to her. Supervisor Acting as Assistant The whistleblower further reportedly told congressional members that when the convict wanted to examine and modify papers “quickly”, she “essentially used” the official as her “personal secretary and administrative assistant”. The news release indicates that Maxwell’s correspondents would email documents directly to the supervisor, who would hand them over to Maxwell, for her to examine and change and provide them back to the official to digitize and send to the original sender. Additional Privileges Reported Further perks reportedly provided to her include opportunities to interact with a trainee assistance dog – a perk typically prohibited – as well as exclusive nighttime use to the prison exercise area. Her legal counsel has not yet replied to a inquiry regarding the whistleblower’s claims. Through a spokesperson, the presidential office said that it “will not discuss” on possible pardon appeals. “As President Trump has stated, granting clemency to the convict is not something he has thought about,” the representative noted. Context and Developments Recently, reports surfaced that she told close associates in electronic messages that she was more content at the Texas facility than her previous prison. In August, Maxwell was transferred from a low-security prison in Florida's capital to the less restrictive prison in Texas, where most detainees are serving time for financial and non-violent crimes. The transfer, which authorities called as “unprecedented”, occurred just days after she was interviewed about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation by the senior justice official, Todd Blanche, who also once acted as the President's private attorney. This questioning came as the administration was facing mounting pressure to release more documents related to the ongoing probe and amid widespread conjecture around the President's own personal ties to the fallen billionaire and convicted sex offender, who was found deceased in custody in that year while facing trial on trafficking accusations. Congressional Response Through the statement, Raskin also announced that he had dispatched a communication to the President, demanding answers about the insider's claims, and urged the president to reject Maxwell’s commutation request. “You should not grant any type of pardon to this adjudicated and remorseless criminal,” Raskin wrote in the document. “Your Administration should not be providing her with room service, with puppies to play with, with federal law enforcement officials waiting on her every need, or with any special treatment or institutional privilege at all.” The congressman asked that the official attend a open legislative session to discuss the revelations and also presented several inquiries to Trump. Raskin asked whether Trump had discussed a possible clemency for the convict with Blanche or others, whether he had directed Blanche or anyone else to arrange Maxwell with the move or special conditions in prison, and whether she, her lawyers, family or agents have made any promises to the President or his attorneys. The representative requested for a reply to the questions by 24 November. In October, the nation's highest court declined to hear an appeal from the convict on her sex-trafficking conviction.