Maxwell’s transfer is the latest development in an ongoing saga regarding the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
(Michael Wyke | AP) Dawn breaks at the Federal Prison Camp Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Bryan, Texas.
There is always a Utah connection.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender known for her ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, was moved to Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a minimum security facility in Texas, where former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah is serving time after being convicted on fraud charges. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is also serving time at Bryan.
Maxwell was transferred to the minimum security prison last Friday after a two-hour interview with Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The move comes as controversy over the release of documents related to Epstein has dominated the conversation in Washington in recent weeks.
The onetime girlfriend of Epstein is serving a 20-year sentence after her 2021 sex trafficking conviction and was previously being held in a low-security prison in Florida, FCI Tallahassee. But convicted sex offenders, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons policy, are traditionally not allowed to be housed in minimum security prisons unless they receive a waiver from the agency.
The BOP did not respond to a request for comment from The Salt Lake Tribune regarding why Maxwell was transferred and why she received a waiver. A lawyer for Maxwell also did not respond to a request for comment.
A representative for Shah and a lawyer for Holmes did not respond to requests for comment on Maxwell’s transfer to Camp Bryan.
Shah was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison in 2023, after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her arrest and the fallout in the months following was filmed and aired as part of the hit Bravo reality show Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
Holmes was convicted of fraud in 2018. She and Shah have reportedly become friends while being held at Camp Bryan.
Maxwell’s transfer is the latest development in an ongoing, and increasingly controversial, saga regarding the release of documents related to Epstein.
Trump previously promised to release the files. Back in the Oval Office, the president is backtracking, which is causing a revolt from some in his base.
In June, businessman and former Trump adviser Elon Musk alleged that the president was included in the Epstein files, a claim the White House dismissed. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump contributed to a birthday gift for Epstein that included “bawdy letters,” and Attorney General Pam Bondi also reportedly told Trump earlier this year that his name appeared in the files.
Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee has pushed for Maxwell to testify in Congress.
“If she were to testify, it would answer a lot of questions that would put this into perspective,” Lee said during a podcast interview last month. “There is a way to satisfy the public.”
And while some Republicans in Congress — including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. — had pushed for the release of the files, most GOP lawmakers have closed ranks in recent weeks.
“I’m for transparency,” Johnson said during a July 15 podcast interview. “It’s a very delicate subject. We should put everything out there and let the people decide.”
But at a news conference a week later, the speaker said he was “done being lectured about transparency” and that he would not allow Democrats to “continue with their nonsense.” Johnson then sent the House to recess a day early, preventing any further votes on the floor to force the release of the files.
Rep. Blake Moore, who represents Utah’s 1st Congressional District and serves as the state’s only member of congressional leadership, echoed Johnson during a brief appearance in South Ogden last week.
“I absolutely support transparency, but you have to protect potential victims’ private information as well,” Moore said. “It’s not just this easy, like, ‘Let’s release it all,’ when there’s going to be a lot of victims that are going to be exposed from this.”
Moore was also asked if he thought Maxwell should get a pardon or immunity if she were to testify in front of Congress — a demand her lawyer has made, CNN reported
“I don’t think so,” he told reporters.
Shah currently is scheduled to be released Sep. 19, 2026, according to the Bureau of Prisons tracker. Holmes is scheduled for release Jan. 4, 2032, while Maxwell’s scheduled release date is July 17, 2037.