Judge: Newly Released Epstein Files Maxwell Cited to Challenge Convictions Actually Incriminated Her

US District Judge Paul Engelmayer denied Ghislaine Maxwell's self-filed bid to overturn her five felony convictions on August 25, 2026. Maxwell, serving 20 years for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, had relied on records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Engelmayer found those files "incriminated Maxwell or reinforced the correctness of the challenged legal rulings," calling her challenge "meritless" and "frivolous."