Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein associate, has asked the US Supreme Court to reverse her sentence, claiming she was wrongfully prosecuted.

Maxwell received a 20-year prison sentence in Manhattan in 2022 for sex trafficking and other connected crimes. Her defense team, on the other hand, filed a motion with the Supreme Court on Monday, alleging that a previous plea deal struck by Epstein shielded Maxwell from prosecution.

Maxwell’s appeal to the Supreme Court came only days after she met with Justice Department officials to propose becoming a US government cooperator. Observers believe Maxwell may be able to reveal new information concerning Epstein’s sex trafficking and the wealthy individuals who may have been engaged. It is unclear whether Maxwell will become a US government cooperator and what she may earn in exchange.

Maxwell’s Supreme Court appeal contends that Epstein’s 2007 plea agreement with federal authorities in Florida should have prevented her indictment.

The contentious 2007 plea agreement between Epstein and the Justice Department said that if Epstein followed the conditions of the agreement, the US government would not charge “any potential co-conspirators of Epstein,” including “but not limited to” four co-conspirators. Maxwell is not one of the four co-conspirators listed in the agreement, but her attorneys claim she did not need to be named to benefit from the pact.

Maxwell’s legal team has petitioned the Supreme Court to examine the case, alleging that the federal plea agreement reached in Florida should have been honored in New York.

The Justice Department had previously maintained that the Florida plea deal did not apply to other federal districts, including the southern district of New York, where Maxwell was subsequently prosecuted and convicted.

In the United States, plea deals are used to settle the majority of federal prosecutions.

Alexander Acosta, the US attorney in Florida who negotiated Epstein’s plea agreement at the time, faced intense scrutiny during the first Trump administration after being nominated US Secretary of Labor. After Epstein’s arrest in 2019, he resigned from his post due to widespread criticism.

The Justice Department has come under fire from Democrats and Trump supporters in recent weeks after issuing a letter stating that it did not find evidence to charge “third parties”. According to the document, the Justice Department and the FBI found “no incriminating ‘client list’.”

Trump has come under fire again on the Epstein case because of his previous ties to the wealthy investor. In mid-July, the Wall Street Journal revealed that Trump penned a “bawdy” birthday letter to Epstein in 2003. In reaction to the revelation, Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal and its owners, which included right-wing billionaire Rupert Murdoch. Last Monday, the tabloid was barred from participating in the press pool for Trump’s forthcoming trip to Scotland.

On Monday, Trump petitioned a federal court in Florida to depose Murdoch in the defamation case. According to Reuters, Trump’s attorneys submitted a court brief describing a discussion between Trump and Murdoch. According to the filing, Trump informed Murdoch prior to the publication of the Journal article that the “bawdy” memo was “fake,” and Murdoch promised to “take care of it.” A federal judge ordered Murdoch to respond by August 4th.

This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that while the Justice Department analyzed Epstein-related records, Trump’s name appeared several times.