Supreme Court Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's Appeal, Ties to Epstein Under Scrutiny

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal to overturn her 2021 conviction for assisting Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abusing underage girls. By rejecting the appeal, the court upheld lower court decisions, sustaining Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence.

Maxwell's legal team argued her conviction was invalid because of a 2007 non-prosecution agreement Epstein struck with federal prosecutors, which they claimed should have shielded her from charges. However, a jury found her guilty of several offenses including sex trafficking of a minor. Epstein had avoided federal prosecution by pleading guilty to lesser state charges in Florida.

The case continues to garner public and political attention, especially concerning alleged non-released investigation files. The federal probe found no incriminating evidence or client lists involving Epstein. Despite conspiracy theories, the authorities have yet to uncover any implicating connections among Epstein's influential network.

(With inputs from agencies.)