Rant: Trump, Maxwell, and the Era of Transactional Justice

In a just society, justice is blind. In Trumps society, it takes bribes.

Ghislaine Maxwell's latest attempt to broker immunity in exchange for congressional testimony doesn't just expose her own cynicism. It spotlights the defining characteristic of an era where truth is currency, morality is optional, and the law is little more than a tool of power.

This is not justice. This is a transaction.

Last week, Maxwell's lawyer delivered a letter to the House Oversight Committee, stating that she would testify about her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking network, but only if she received formal immunity, a change of venue, advance access to questions, and most astonishingly, consideration for clemency. Her willingness to speak, the letter made clear, depends entirely on the degree to which she is shielded from consequences.

That is not cooperation. It is extortion masquerading as civic duty.

It seems we now live in an era of transactional justice, where moral clarity is displaced by bargaining, and accountability is replaced by backroom deals. The idea that Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker, would demand leniency in exchange for basic truth-telling is both appalling and emblematic. Victims were forced to recount their trauma in open court with no protection. Maxwell wants to tell her story only if it benefits her materially.

And surrounding her, once again, are the institutional enablers: political operatives, legal strategists, and media advisors, all working to spin confession into leverage. The system that once protected Epstein now rearranges itself to extract "value" from Maxwell. Her truth isn’t weighed by its moral force but by its utility.

Donald Trump’s administration has only amplified this logic. Pam Bondi, Trump’s former impeachment lawyer and now the official overseeing Epstein document release, embodies the fox-guarding-the-henhouse reality of partisan law enforcement. Trump's own name appears in documents under DOJ review, and yet his administration continues to shape the narrative through selective disclosure and political delay.

This is not new. But it is worsening. In the world of moral psychology, researchers identify a distinction between deontological reasoning (judging right from wrong based on moral rules) and instrumental reasoning (judging actions by their outcomes or usefulness). What we are witnessing is the complete triumph of the latter: a justice system that no longer asks what is right, but only what is negotiable.

Maxwell’s offer reveals a fundamental sickness in how we treat power and harm. Her crimes are not in dispute. Her victims are known. Her role in Epstein's operation has been documented and adjudicated. Yet she is still able to posture as a partner to justice, not a subject of it. That is only possible in a society where justice is no longer a moral process, but a marketplace.

The very notion of clemency in exchange for testimony in a child sex trafficking operation is morally bankrupt. And yet, in today’s America, it is being entertained.

If Maxwell's testimony is to mean anything, it must be given in full view of the public, with no strings attached. No immunity. No special conditions. No mercy bought with names. Let her speak—not as a queen for a day, but as a predator held to account.

Because until we stop treating justice as a deal to be struck, and start treating it as a moral obligation, evil will keep walking free. And they will do it with our permission.

JC Pass

JC Pass is a specialist in social and political psychology who merges academic insight with cultural critique. With an MSc in Applied Social and Political Psychology and a BSc in Psychology, JC explores how power, identity, and influence shape everything from global politics to gaming culture. Their work spans political commentary, video game psychology, LGBTQIA+ allyship, and media analysis, all with a focus on how narratives, systems, and social forces affect real lives.

JC’s writing moves fluidly between the academic and the accessible, offering sharp, psychologically grounded takes on world leaders, fictional characters, player behaviour, and the mechanics of resilience in turbulent times. They also create resources for psychology students, making complex theory feel usable, relevant, and real.

https://SimplyPutPsych.co.uk/
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