Senate Unanimously Opposes Pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell Amid Blanche Confirmation Drama

Jon Elswick/AP Photo

The Senate voted unanimously to block a possible pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell as drama swirled over the confirmation vote of acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche,  whose nomination has had victims of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein crying foul.

The vote came Wednesday night on a motion put forth by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), who first introduced the resolution in February.

“While there are a number of reasons why the members of the committee should oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination – from his willingness to enable Donald Trump’s worst instincts, to his role in helping create Trump’s corrupt slush fund to pay out January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers and others – there is one reason that stands out far ahead of the others,” Rosen said in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday.

“It’s his complete and total mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell case,” she said.

Rosen later noted in her address, which recounted Blanche’s disastrous handling of the Epstein files:

There was a serious discussion at the White House to pardon or reduce the sentence of Ghislaine Maxwell, in order to get her to say nice things about Donald Trump.

Mind you, this is the same woman, the same woman who facilitated Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific abuse of underage girls over many years, year after year, hundreds of young women.

Our justice system worked as it is supposed to. Maxwell was found guilty by a jury of her peers. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her crimes.

And that’s why it was odd when Todd Blanche, in a highly unusual step, personally interviewed Maxwell, and days later, she was magically transferred to a minimum-security prison. Magic act.

Blanche’s nomination was facing a rocky road after Epstein victims and some senators, including Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) insisted he had brushed off their concerns.

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