US court refuses to hear appeal but lawyer says 'fight not over'

GHISLAINE Maxwell's bid for freedom has been crushed after the US Supreme Court refused to hear her appeal against her conviction.

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

The disgraced socialite attempted to overturn her 20-year prison sentence for grooming and trafficking girls for billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said they were "deeply disappointed", but added: "This fight isn't over. Serious legal and factual issues remain, and we will continue to pursue every avenue available to ensure justice is done."

Maxwell's other hope of early release rests on a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, with whom she once socialised in New York and Palm Beach.

Last month she was moved to a cushy Texas jail after praising Trump.