Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, intends to invoke her right to remain silent during questioning by the US House Oversight Committee, according to her lawyer. Maxwell is expected to appear virtually for Monday's closed-door deposition from the Texas prison where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. I can confirm that she will take the Fifth, Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus told the BBC on Sunday, referring to the right to avoid self-incrimination outlined in the Fifth Amendment of the US constitution. Instead, Maxwell will read a prepared statement at the outset of the deposition, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, her former boyfriend, to exploit. Epstein died in prison in 2019. She is seeking a pardon from Trump and has been accused of lying to federal officials. In a letter addressed to Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Republican, Khanna said he plans to ask Maxwell about a court document she filed last year, saying there were four named co-conspirators and 25 others who were not indicted as part of the Epstein investigation. He also plans to inquire about her and Epstein's social relationship with Donald Trump, and whether any potential pardon discussions occurred between them.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has severed contact, stating he has not been implicated by Epstein's victims. Khanna noted that Maxwell's refusal to answer questions seems inconsistent with her previous conduct, as she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on similar matters, where she claimed not to witness any inappropriate conduct by Trump or Bill Clinton. Originally scheduled for last August, Monday's deposition was postponed due to Maxwell's lawyers requesting to delay it pending a Supreme Court ruling related to her case. This testimony follows the release of millions of pages of new files from the Department of Justice's investigation into Epstein, and members of Congress will be allowed access to view unredacted versions of these documents.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, her former boyfriend, to exploit. Epstein died in prison in 2019. She is seeking a pardon from Trump and has been accused of lying to federal officials. In a letter addressed to Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Republican, Khanna said he plans to ask Maxwell about a court document she filed last year, saying there were four named co-conspirators and 25 others who were not indicted as part of the Epstein investigation. He also plans to inquire about her and Epstein's social relationship with Donald Trump, and whether any potential pardon discussions occurred between them.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has severed contact, stating he has not been implicated by Epstein's victims. Khanna noted that Maxwell's refusal to answer questions seems inconsistent with her previous conduct, as she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on similar matters, where she claimed not to witness any inappropriate conduct by Trump or Bill Clinton. Originally scheduled for last August, Monday's deposition was postponed due to Maxwell's lawyers requesting to delay it pending a Supreme Court ruling related to her case. This testimony follows the release of millions of pages of new files from the Department of Justice's investigation into Epstein, and members of Congress will be allowed access to view unredacted versions of these documents.
