'Ghislaine Maxwell should have a life sentence at least': US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Jeffrey Epstein's key associate

On Sunday (July 28), US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Jeffrey Epstein's key associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, should be awarded life imprisonment in place of the 20-year jail sentence she is already serving for abetting sexual crimes against minors. Johnson and the Trump administration have been under immense pressure for the US president's relationship with Epstein. He said, “...I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes."

"It’s hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing. So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would," Johnson told news outlet NBC.

When the president was asked about Maxwell and whether she would be pardoned, he said he hadn’t considered a pardon or commutation, although he didn’t rule it out. To which Johnson added, “Obviously, that’s a decision of the president. He said he had not adequately considered that. I won’t get it in front of him. That’s not my lane. That would be up to the president. But if she has information that could help us, then I think she should testify. Let’s get that out there. And whatever they need to do to compel that testimony, as long as it’s truthful, I would be in favour of.”

Epstein was charged with sexually trafficking minors, and it was during detention in 2019 that he died by suicide. While. Maxwell, who has been party to the crime, has been accused of recruiting minors for the criminal act.