‘20 years was a pittance’: Mike Johnson has ‘great pause’ as Trump flirts with pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell

The idea of a presidential pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, is causing disagreement among Republicans and making people wonder how much information about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes is still hidden. House Speaker Mike Johnson has serious doubts about the possibility of a pardon.

Johnson spoke about this after the deputy attorney general met with Maxwell. According to The Guardian, Johnson said he thought her sentence was too light and that she should have gotten life in prison because of the horrible nature of her crimes and her role in planning them. However, it’s up to Donald Trump in the end.

While he admitted that the final decision is up to the President, Johnson said, “If you’re asking my opinion, 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.”

Cracks are showing in MAGA’s support for Maxwell pardon

On the other hand, Representative Thomas Massie said a pardon should be considered if it means Maxwell will share information about Epstein’s network. He believes that if Maxwell knows something that could help investigators, she should testify, and all options to get the truth from her, including a pardon, should be looked into.

Representative Ro Khanna is against a pardon, pointing out that Maxwell was previously charged with lying under oath during a civil case. Khanna argued that her history of dishonesty means investigators should rely on independent evidence, which could come from releasing Epstein’s files. He also said he was concerned about the deputy attorney general meeting privately with Maxwell.

The debate over a possible pardon is happening as pressure grows on people like former President Donald Trump and his allies, including Johnson, to reveal more about Epstein’s activities. The split within the Republican Party over Maxwell’s future shows how complicated the ongoing scandal is.

The Justice Department recently said that Epstein did not keep a client list and was not involved in blackmail, after Trump promised during his campaign to share more information about Epstein.

At the same time, there is still a debate about releasing Epstein’s files. Speaker Johnson defended his choice to end the House session early to avoid a vote on releasing the files. He said the proposed law, pushed by Representatives Massie and Khanna, could spread unconfirmed information and might hurt Epstein and Maxwell’s victims by revealing their identities. Johnson stressed the importance of protecting the names and reputations of innocent people, especially minors, who were abused.

Massie called Johnson’s argument a “straw man,” saying the proposed law was written carefully to hide victims’ names and block the release of child pornography. Khanna added that releasing the information would hold powerful people accountable and expose any government officials who might have been involved. He said people would be able to tell the difference between someone who got a grant for Jeffrey Epstein to study cancer and rich, powerful men who were abusing underage girls.