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Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads Fifth, Seeks Clemency
Is Maxwell manipulating justice or is clemency needed to reveal the full truth about Epstein's network?
Above: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) before entering the House Oversight Committee virtual deposition with Ghislaine Maxwell on Feb. 9. Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Maxwell's refusal to name the men who raped underage girls unless granted clemency is a disgraceful manipulation of the justice system. The fact that the president continues dangling clemency like a carrot instead of ruling it out completely for a child trafficker reveals everything about his priorities. She belongs in a maximum security prison, not negotiating her way out of accountability.
Narrative B
Punishing someone for exercising their Fifth Amendment right is authoritarian, not American, and the threats from sitting congresspeople should stop. Maxwell's conviction rests on a fundamentally unfair trial with jurors who lied and government promises broken. Granting clemency would allow the complete truth to emerge, including exonerating innocent public figures and providing the full account the public deserves.
Metaculus Prediction
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0