Ghislaine Maxwell Declines to Answer Questions From Congress

Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role as an associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, declined to testify during a video deposition held on Monday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Invocation of the Fifth Amendment

Maxwell pleaded her constitutional Fifth Amendment right, which protects individuals from self-incrimination, and refused to respond to questions posed by the congressional committee examining files related to the Epstein investigation.

Her attorney, David Markus, said in a statement that Maxwell was willing to provide full testimony under specific conditions.

Clemency Condition Raised by Defence

“Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Donald Trump,” Markus said. He added that Maxwell was uniquely positioned to give a complete account of Epstein’s activities.

Markus also stated that Maxwell could explain why both President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton were not involved in any wrongdoing, saying the public was entitled to such explanations.

Release of Epstein-Related Files

The Department of Justice recently released millions of documents connected to the Epstein investigation. A review of the material by the New York Times found more than 38,000 references to Trump’s name across over 5,300 files.

Lawmakers React

Democratic lawmakers accused Maxwell of using her refusal to testify as leverage to seek clemency. Republican Representative James Comer, chair of the committee, said he did not support granting clemency.

Comer said Maxwell had an opportunity to answer questions central to the investigation but chose not to do so.

Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said he had submitted written questions for Maxwell and criticised her decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment. Khanna said the public had been denied answers regarding alleged co-conspirators and any discussions Maxwell may have had about potential agreements with Trump.

Upcoming Depositions

The House committee has scheduled additional depositions as part of its investigation into the Epstein files. Those expected to testify include billionaire and Victoria’s Secret founder Les Wexner on Feb. 18, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Feb. 26 and 27, Epstein’s accountant on March 11, and Epstein’s lawyer on March 19.