Ghislaine Maxwell Invokes Fifth, Challenges Congress in Epstein Probe Deposition

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, appeared virtually before the House Oversight Committee on Monday and invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to virtually every question, abruptly ending a long‑awaited deposition that lawmakers had hoped would illuminate Epstein’s network and federal handling of the case abcnews +1. The session, which lasted less than an hour, marked a major setback for a congressional probe launched after the release of millions of pages of Justice Department “Epstein files” bbc +1.

Maxwell, 64, is serving a 20‑year federal sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex‑trafficking and related charges for helping Epstein abuse teenage girls abcnews. Appearing by video from a minimum‑security prison camp in Bryan, Texas, she declined to answer questions on alleged co‑conspirators, powerful associates and her own dealings with federal authorities, instead relying on constitutional protections and ongoing litigation, including a habeas corpus petition challenging her conviction abcnews +1.

A Deposition That Went Nowhere

Committee members from both parties emerged visibly frustrated, reporting that Maxwell had refused to answer any substantive questions about Epstein, his network or government conduct, repeatedly citing the Fifth Amendment abcnews +2. Chairman James Comer said lawmakers “had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co‑conspirators,” but received none of the answers they sought cbsnews.

Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, delivered a prepared statement that framed her silence as conditional rather than absolute. He said Maxwell would be prepared to “speak fully and honestly” if granted clemency by President Donald Trump, adding that she could exonerate both Trump and former President Bill Clinton of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein abcnews +2. The offer effectively transformed a long‑planned deposition into a public bid for presidential intervention, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats who accused Maxwell of “campaigning” for a pardon rather than cooperating with Congress cbsnews.

Why Lawmakers Wanted Maxwell Now

Monday’s deposition was timed to coincide with a new phase of congressional scrutiny: the implementation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which compelled the Justice Department to release more than 3 million pages of investigative records and to let lawmakers review unredacted materials in person starting this month bbc +1. Investigators hoped Maxwell, one of the few insiders still alive and in government custody, could help interpret the documents, fill gaps on recruitment and travel patterns, and clarify the roles of high‑profile figures whose names appear in the files bbc.

The Oversight Committee has also moved aggressively on parallel fronts, subpoenaing billionaire Leslie Wexner, Epstein’s former accountant and lawyer, and issuing bipartisan deposition orders to Bill and Hillary Clinton, whose resistance has already sparked a contempt fight in the House bbc. Survivors’ groups had urged lawmakers to treat any new claims by Maxwell with “utmost skepticism,” pointing to her previous lies under oath, even as they pressed Congress to use her testimony—if it ever comes—alongside DOJ files to pursue accountability and potential reforms to trafficking laws and federal investigative practices bbc.

The Bigger Picture

Maxwell’s refusal to speak left Congress no closer to resolving central questions about who enabled Epstein, how far his network extended, and whether powerful men received preferential treatment from prosecutors. With its star witness effectively sidelined, the House Oversight probe is likely to hinge on documentary evidence and testimony from other associates, as well as continuing political battles over subpoenas and alleged “cover‑ups” tied to Trump and prior administrations bbc +1. For survivors and a public that has followed the Epstein saga for years, the episode underscored a familiar reality: the person who may know the most about the scandal remains unwilling to talk—unless the price is a presidential act of clemency.