WASHINGTON – Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) condemned the recent transfer of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell from FCI Tallahassee, a low security federal prison, to FPC Bryan, a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.
The transfer occurred shortly after Maxwell met privately with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche – Trump’s former personal lawyer – to discuss individuals associated with Jeffrey Epstein. The Senators note that the Department of Justice has yet to provide any clear explanation for the decision, raising serious concerns about whether Maxwell is receiving preferential treatment.
“Given the serious nature of Ms. Maxwell’s crimes, which include a conviction and 20-year sentence for the sex trafficking of minors, this transfer raises deeply troubling questions,” the Senators wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The lack of transparency surrounding the decision, particularly following her closed-door meeting with the Deputy Attorney General, undermines public confidence in the Department’s impartiality and raises concerns about whether she is receiving preferential treatment.”
The letter cites Bureau of Prisons policy requiring that anyone who, like Maxwell, had “sexual contact with a minor,” be housed in at least a low security-level institution without exception unless granted a waiver, which there has been no indication Maxwell obtained. The Senators also note that victims were not notified of her transfer, in apparent violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
“Moreover, at a time when the Department has pledged greater transparency regarding Epstein-related matters, this unexplained transfer sends the opposite message,” the Senators continued. “To date, there has been no clear explanation for why the transfer was made, suggesting the administration has simply been paying lip service to repeated calls for transparency.”
The Senators are calling on the Department to produce all documents and communications related to the transfer, any records of Maxwell’s communications with DOJ officials in the 30 days preceding the move, and documentation of victim notification efforts.
Read the full letter HERE.
8/12/25