Quick version: Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell say a push for presidential clemency is still alive, even as they deal with angry messages and handle other headline-making clients.

Talk of pardons and a smirk

At a public discussion, attorney Shawn Pollack mentioned that, in some cases, clients might hope for a presidential pardon or commutation. At that point, attorney Dominick Markus interrupted with a smirk and said, "that case, too."

Pollack noted the political reality: if the public already dislikes a client or thinks the defendant got a sweetheart deal, it may be harder for a president to grant clemency. He added that correcting the public record could make such relief easier to pursue.

Markus has publicly backed clemency for Maxwell

Markus has publicly urged a pardon or other clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell. He made that position known when Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer questions before the House Oversight Committee in early February. Markus has said Maxwell would be willing to speak fully and honestly if she were granted clemency by former President Trump.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of facilitating and participating in sex trafficking linked to Jeffrey Epstein. The Supreme Court declined to take up her appeal of those convictions.

Hate mail and thin-skinned inboxes

The lawyers also discussed abusive messages they receive because of the clients they represent. Markus read aloud an email he said arrived earlier in the week from an anonymous sender using the address "Todd Blanche sucks at gmail dot com," a reference to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

According to Markus, the message called the idea of representing Maxwell despicable and demanded she be on death row, adding that the writer wanted the lawyer to suffer alongside her. The note is an example of the vitriol defense lawyers sometimes face when they take controversial cases.

Pollack's other client, Maduro, and a licensing snag

Pollack joked that much of the commentary he gets about the Nicolás Maduro case is in Spanish, so he pretends it praises him for defending the rule of law. The legal matter is serious: U.S. prosecutors charged Maduro with drug trafficking and narcoterrorism conspiracy after U.S. forces seized him in Caracas in January.

Pollack also described a practical obstacle he says has affected Maduro's ability to pay for legal representation. He says the Office of Foreign Assets Control issued licenses allowing Venezuela to pay Maduro's lawyers, but then revoked those licenses without explanation. That move, Pollack argues, left Maduro unable to fund his defense, and Pollack has asked a federal judge to dismiss the indictment on those grounds.

Pollack called the licensing process bumpy and appealed directly to OFAC representatives to resolve the issue, saying the matter needs action.

Where things stand

  • Maxwell: Serving a 20-year sentence; clemency remains a pursued option according to her attorneys.
  • Appeal: The Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal.
  • Maduro: Charged with drug trafficking and narcoterrorism conspiracy; legal fees have been complicated by OFAC licensing decisions.

For now, Maxwell's lawyers continue to press for clemency while navigating public backlash and the normal headaches of high-profile legal work.