The acting attorney general of the United States, Todd Blanche, assured this Tuesday before the Senate that he will not recommend a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, former collaborator and ex-partner of Jeffrey Epstein, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking of minors.

The statement occurred during an appropriations subcommittee hearing, where Blanche appeared to defend the Justice Department's 2027 budget request. However, much of the session was marked by questions about the handling of files related to Epstein and Maxwell.

It was Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen who directly questioned the official about the possibility of eventual presidential clemency for Maxwell. “Can you commit to not recommending a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell?” asked the legislator. Blanche responded bluntly, “Yes, of course I can commit to that.”

The acting prosecutor's words come months after Maxwell's defense left open the possibility of collaborating with congressional investigations in exchange for a presidential pardon. Her lawyer even previously noted that the former socialite would be willing to testify “freely” if she received immunity or a pardon.

The possibility of Maxwell obtaining some kind of legal benefit had sparked outrage among survivors and advocacy organizations for victims of sexual abuse. Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who has represented several Epstein victims, recently warned that “any mention of clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell subverts justice.”

During the hearing, Van Hollen also accused Blanche of continuing to act as President Donald Trump's "personal attorney" due to her previous closeness to the Republican president. The senator especially questioned Blanche's participation in interviews with Maxwell last year as part of the review of documents related to Epstein.

The prosecutor denied acting on direct instructions from Trump and rejected criticism of alleged privileges toward Maxwell, who was recently transferred from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas, a move that experts called “unusual.”

Although Blanche ruled out recommending a pardon for Maxwell, she avoided making the same commitment regarding other people mentioned in Epstein's files. He argued that there are “hundreds of thousands of names” within the documentation and recalled that the majority do not face criminal accusations.

The White House has also tried to cool down the speculation. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated in February that a possible pardon for Maxwell “is not a priority” for President Trump and assured that the president “is not thinking about it.”