Justice Department Clarifies No Record of Trump Pardon Request for Ghislaine Maxwell
The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney has told reporters there is no record that former President Donald Trump asked the office to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell.
FOIA Request and Response
The Daily Beast filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking any documents about potential pardons for Maxwell since July 1, 2020. The request targeted correspondence handled by the Pardon Attorney, Edward R. Martin Jr., who oversees clemency paperwork and coordinates reviews alongside officials including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
In response, the Pardon Office said it conducted a search and did not find any records responsive to the FOIA request. In other words, the agency reported no direct contact from Trump seeking Maxwell’s clemency.
Contrasting Statements from Trump
That disclosure contrasts with comments the former president made in July, when he told reporters he was “allowed” to pardon Maxwell but had not given the matter much thought. He said the possibility was something he had not ac...