Ghislaine Maxwell Was Honored at Clinton Global Initiative Event Years After Sex Abuse Allegations Surfaced, Report Reveals

Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell was celebrated at a prestigious Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) conference in September 2013—more than five years after allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation had first emerged against her, according to a new report from CNN.

Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges, was publicly recognized at the 2013 CGI annual meeting as a “Commitment to Action” leader for her ocean conservation nonprofit, the TerraMar Project. Attendees told CNN that being acknowledged in this way was a “rare, prestigious” honor.

Allegations linking Maxwell to Epstein’s recruitment of underage girls had circulated since at least 2009. That same year, she was even served with a subpoena in lawsuits filed by 24 accusers as she exited a CGI event, according to Page Six. By 2011, Clinton staffers had reportedly barred her from official functions after extensive media scrutiny.

Despite that ban, CNN reports Maxwell was among a small group granted complimentary tickets to the 2013 conference—a perk so uncommon that one source said it likely required personal approval from either Bill or Hillary Clinton.

A Clinton spokesperson denied that the former president personally intervened on Maxwell’s behalf, stressing that hundreds of complimentary passes were distributed at the staff level that year.

“This is about someone working on ocean conservation attending a charitable conference 12 years ago, along with thousands of other people, and nothing more,” the spokesperson told CNN. “As we have consistently said, the Clintons know nothing about Jeffrey Epstein’s terrible crimes.”

The TerraMar Project shut down in 2019 following Epstein’s arrest on federal trafficking charges. Maxwell’s attorneys later cited her nonprofit work—and even claimed she had helped “launch” CGI—in an unsuccessful bid for leniency at her sentencing.

Maxwell’s ties to the Clintons, however, extend far beyond the 2013 CGI appearance. She and Epstein were photographed visiting the White House during Bill Clinton’s presidency in the 1990s, and flight logs show Clinton took at least 16 trips on Epstein’s private jet to international destinations where Maxwell was often present. Maxwell also maintained a personal friendship with Chelsea Clinton, vacationing with her in 2009 and attending her 2010 wedding.

In 2019, a Clinton family spokesperson told Vanity Fair that Chelsea and Maxwell had become “friendly” through a mutual friend, but insisted Chelsea had no knowledge of the accusations until years later.

The renewed scrutiny over Maxwell’s presence at CGI comes as the House Oversight Committee expands its probe into Epstein’s network of elite associates. Earlier this month, both Bill and Hillary Clinton were subpoenaed and are scheduled to testify under oath in October.