House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said he believes Ghislaine Maxwell, a key associate of Jeffrey Epstein currently serving 20 years in prison for conspiring to sexually abuse minors, should face “a life sentence.”
“If you’re asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance,” Johnson told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” July 27. “I think she should have a life sentence, at least.”
His remarks to NBC come as many, including supporters of President Donald Trump, clamor for testimony from Maxwell. Some followers of the case have proposed a pardon in exchange, but Trump told reporters on July 25 he hadn’t considered the move.
“I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about,” the president said.
Epstein was charged with sexually trafficking minors and died by suicide while in detention in 2019. Maxwell, his longtime girlfriend, has been accused of recruiting minors for the disgraced financier’s predation.
Maxwell maintains her innocence and is appealing her 2021 sex-trafficking conviction.
Johnson in his interview with NBC reiterated that pardons aren’t up to him, telling the outlet, “obviously that’s a decision of the president.”
“I won’t get in front of him,” Johnson said. “That’s not my lane.”
But, later in the interview he noted, “It’s hard to put into words how evil this was, and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it.”
“So, again, not my decision,” he added, “but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would.”
The Trump administration for weeks has faced backlash over its handling of Epstein’s case. Critics from Democratic lawmakers to prominent Republicans and slices of Trump’s voter base accuse the president and other officials of not being transparent with the American people.
The speaker has faced his own ongoing Epstein-related criticism, as some House Republicans have zeroed in on the Justice Department’s recent review of Epstein’s case and are calling for related documents to be released publicly.
Democrats in Congress have piled on too.
Reps. Ro Khanna, D-California, and Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, introduced a bipartisan measure to force the Trump administration’s hand in releasing the federal government’s files.
Also on “Meet The Press,” the pair split on pardoning Maxwell.
“That would be up to the president,” Massie said. “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 favor of.”
Khanna disagreed, saying Maxwell shouldn’t receive a pardon.
“Look, I agree with Congressman Massie that she should testify,” the California Democrat said. “But she’s been indicted twice on perjury. This is why we need the files. This is why we need independent evidence.”
Contributing: Bart Jansen and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Johnson reacts to possible pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell
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