Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been transferred from a Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas, authorities have confirmed.
The move comes as Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction while simultaneously seeking a pardon from former President Donald Trump.
Earlier in July, Maxwell held two meetings with the Deputy US Attorney General, the details of which remain undisclosed.
Maxwell has been at the center of scrutiny surrounding the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, and the reasons for her transfer from the Florida prison are currently unclear.
While speculation has circulated regarding a potential pardon from Mr. Trump, the White House has previously stated that “no leniency is being given or discussed”.
The BBC has reached out to the White House for comment on Maxwell’s transfer to Texas.
“We can confirm Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Bryan, Texas,” the BOP stated in a release on Friday.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, acknowledged the transfer but declined to provide further details.
In a statement, the family of the late Virginia Giuffre – one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims – expressed their “horror and disgust” at what they characterized as the “preferential treatment” afforded to Ghislaine Maxwell.
They further condemned the move, alleging it was made “without any notification to Maxwell’s victims”.
“This is the justice system failing victims right before our eyes,” the statement continued. “The American public should be outraged by the special treatment afforded to a pedophile and a criminally charged child sex offender.”
The facility, FPC Bryant, is located approximately 100 miles (160km) from Austin, the Texas state capital.
Similar to other federal prison camps, inmates at FPC Bryant reside in dormitories, with a lower staff-to-inmate ratio compared to higher-security federal prisons. It primarily houses inmates serving time for non-violent offenses and white-collar crimes.
Notably, disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence following her 2022 conviction for defrauding investors in her blood-testing start-up, is also housed among the approximately 650 female inmates at the facility.
In contrast, FCI Tallahassee, the facility where Maxwell was previously incarcerated in Florida, houses over 800 inmates, encompassing both men and women. Both facilities are officially designated as “low-security” federal prisons.
While strict discipline is maintained and all prisoners are expected to work, inmates also have access to foreign language and business classes, recreational activities, television, and religious services.
Contact with family members is permitted via video calls, and inmates are allowed visitors during weekends and holidays, according to a prison handbook made available online by authorities.
Less than a week prior, Maxwell’s legal team indicated her willingness to testify before Congress regarding her knowledge of the case, contingent upon the granting of strict legal protections.
However, on Friday, the scheduled 11 August deposition was indefinitely postponed, as announced by the chair of the House Oversight Committee.
Rep. James Comer stated that while the committee was “willing to continue to engage in good faith negotiations,” it would not grant her congressional immunity or provide questions in advance, two conditions stipulated by Maxwell’s lawyers.
Earlier in July, she engaged in two meetings with Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche, who stated his intention to explore whether she could provide additional information regarding other individuals potentially aided by Epstein in sexually abusing girls.
Following the meetings, he indicated that he would disclose his findings at an “appropriate time.” Maxwell’s lawyer has asserted that she has not made any promises or sought anything in exchange.
Pressure has intensified on President Trump to release further files pertaining to the Epstein case, a commitment he repeatedly made during his campaign last year.
President Trump has instead accused political rivals of leveraging the case to divert attention from his accomplishments since returning to office.