The US Supreme Court has declined to entertain an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, effectively upholding her 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. The court’s decision, issued without explanation, marks a significant legal setback for Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2022 of recruiting underage girls for Epstein’s exploitation network. Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, was officially ruled a suicide, though his death has sparked widespread conspiracy theories, particularly among supporters of former President Donald Trump. Many Trump loyalists have long alleged that Epstein’s associates, including Maxwell, were shielded by a so-called ‘deep state’ involving Democratic Party elites and Hollywood figures. Trump, who once maintained a close friendship with Epstein, has dismissed the case as a ‘Democrat hoax’ and sought to distance himself from the controversy. Maxwell’s legal team argued that her prosecution violated a 2007 immunity agreement tied to Epstein’s earlier case, but the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal has left her with limited legal recourse. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, expressed disappointment but vowed to continue pursuing justice. With the appeal rejected, Maxwell’s only potential path to freedom now lies in a pardon or clemency from Trump, who has remained noncommittal on the matter. Recently, Maxwell was moved from a Florida prison to a minimum-security facility in Texas following an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer.