Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday said that the Department of Justice would not recommend that President Donald Trump grant a pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell, the madame of the late Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell has sought a pardon and speculation has abounded that Trump could issue one. However, key lawmakers and administration officials have voiced opposition to such a move.

Blanche, for his part, told Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., that he "of course" would "commit to that," referencing the DOJ refusing to recommend such a pardon, Politico reported.

The Epstein case has proven a political liability for Trump, who campaigned on releasing a so-called "client list" of powerful people to whom Epstein allegedly trafficked young women.

In 2025, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi attempted to release largely public information to a group of influencers in a now-infamous publicity debacle that saw the influencers pose with binders, but ultimately learn nothing new.

Congress later approved legislation requiring that the DOJ release its files on the case, though the DOJ faced scrutiny again for its rollout. Trump later fired Bondi.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.