Whitehouse Renews Demand for DOJ Documents Related to Unexplained Transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to Cushier Prison

Whitehouse's previous letter to BOP - sent more than ten months ago - and FOIA request went unanswered

'Ms. Maxwell's abrupt transfer has the appearance of a political favor orchestrated by Acting Attorney General Blanche,' writes Whitehouse

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, sent a letter this week to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall demanding more information on the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of the notorious and politically connected child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

"As I wrote last year, Ms. Maxwell's abrupt transfer has the appearance of a political favor orchestrated by Acting Attorney General Blanche. Then-Deputy Attorney General Blanche held two unusual meetings with Ms. Maxwell just one week after public reporting that Ms. Maxwell assembled a birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein that included a personal note from President Trump," wrote Whitehouse in the letter. "During those meetings, Ms. Maxwell spoke favorably of President Trump. Roughly one week later, she was transferred to a minimum-security facility, even though BOP policies do not ordinarily permit such transfers for people like Ms. Maxwell whose criminal history involves sex offenses."

Whitehouse first wrote to then Deputy Attorney General Blanche in a July 2025 letter with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), seeking commitments that the Department of Justice would not offer a pardon or commutation of sentence to Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation with the White House's political goals. In an August 2025 letter to BOP Director Marshall, Whitehouse demanded all documents related to the redesignation and transfer of Maxwell to a cushy, minimum-security prison camp. In November 2025, Whitehouse and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) filed a FOIA request to the Department of Justice seeking records related to the Maxwell transfer after getting no responses to his previous oversight requests. To date, the Trump Department of Justice has still not complied with any of the Senator's previous requests.

Last week, the Bureau of Prisons addressed for the first time the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell in a post on X. BOP claimed, "BOP designates and transfers inmates based on established criteria" and "Ms. Maxwell's "designation and transfer were made independently by BOP and were based on . . . factors that required additional security measures." BOP also claimed that "[n]o preference, special treatment, or political influence played any role in these decisions."

Whitehouse added in his new letter, "If this statement is true, then BOP should have no issue providing the information related to Ms. Maxwell's transfer that I requested more than ten months ago. Furthermore, BOP should explain why its new policy permits the Attorney General to depart from the policy that 'BOP designates and transfers inmates based on established criteria.'"

Whitehouse renewed his request to preserve all records related tothe redesignation and transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell from FCI Tallahassee to FPC Bryan. Bureau of Prisons policy requires individuals convicted of sex offenses to be placed, at low-security facilities at a minimum - not minimum-security facilities. A Bureau of Prisons administrator would normally be required to approve a waiver for such an unusual transfer.

Whitehouse also requested that DOJ preserve all records related to the issuance of the controversial Change Notice 3 to Program Statement 5100.08, Inmate Security Designation and Custody Classification. This little-noticed change to BOP policy published last month purports to give new authority to the Attorney General to designate or redesignate the place of a prisoner's imprisonment.

Whitehouse requested all information no later than July 10, 2026.

Full text of the letter is below and a PDF is available here.

June 23, 2026

The Honorable Todd Blanche

Acting Attorney General of the United States

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20530

William K. Marshall III

Director

Federal Bureau of Prisons

320 First St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20534

Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Director Marshall:

I write to follow up on my August 7, 2025, letter seeking information related to transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility without explanation and possibly in violation of BOP policy. I requested a response to that letter by August 28, 2025. Nearly ten months later, I have received no answer. Faced with this obstruction, my colleagues and I filed Freedom of Information Act requests for similar information, a step to which no member of Congress should have to resort.^[1] The Department of Justice has not complied with that request either.

Furthermore, since my initial letter, BOP appears to have changed its policy to ensure that Acting Attorney General Blanche remains responsible for Ms. Maxwell's placement. Last month, BOP updated its internal guidance to state that the Attorney General can supersede BOP to "designate or redesignate the place of a prisoner's imprisonment" at will.^[2] The new guidance does not even require that the Attorney General act only after considering BOP's recommendation and other factors. Instead, BOP "mayprovide relevant information." (emphasis added).^[3]

As I wrote last year, Ms. Maxwell's abrupt transfer has the appearance of a political favor orchestrated by Acting Attorney General Blanche. Then-Deputy Attorney General Blanche held two unusual meetings with Ms. Maxwell just one week after public reporting that Ms. Maxwell assembled a birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein that included a personal note from President Trump.^[4] During those meetings, Ms. Maxwell spoke favorably of President Trump.^[5] Roughly one week later, she was transferred to a minimum-security facility, even though BOP policies do not ordinarily permit such transfers for people like Ms. Maxwell whose criminal history involves sex offenses.^[6]

Former Attorney General Bondi confirmed to the House Oversight Committee that Acting Attorney General Blanche interviewed Ms. Maxwell because "[h]e was leading the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning."^[7] Congress has an interest in knowing whether BOP changed its policy so Acting Attorney General Blanche can continue to fulfill a political deal with Ms. Maxwell in exchange for her comments about President Trump.

Last week, BOP for the first time addressed Ms. Maxwell's transfer. BOP said, "BOP designates and transfers inmates based on established criteria" and that "Ms. Maxwell's "designation and transfer were made independently by BOP and were based on . . . factors that required additional security measures."^[8] BOP asserted that "[n]o preference, special treatment, or political influence played any role in these decisions."^[9] If this statement is true, then BOP should have no issue providing the information related to Ms. Maxwell's transfer that I requested more than ten months ago. Furthermore, BOP should explain why its new policy permits the Attorney General to depart from the policy that "BOP designates and transfers inmates based on established criteria."^[10]

To that end, I request that you preserve all records related to the May 6, 2026, issuance of Change Notice 3 to Program Statement 5100.08, Inmate Security Designation and Custody Classification. I further request that you provide the information requested in my August 7, 2025, letter and the following additional information no later than July 10, 2026.

1. All documents related to the initiation and development of any portions of Change

Notice 3 regarding the authority of the Attorney General to designate or redesignate the place of a prisoner's imprisonment.

1. All documents related to the exercise of the Attorney General's authority to designate or redesignate the place of a prisoner's imprisonment since May 6, 2026.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.