Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role with Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer lawmakers’ questions at a House Oversight Committee deposition by invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Committee members expressed frustration that her silence limited their ability to probe Epstein’s network, including possible accomplices and institutional failures.
Maxwell’s legal team signaled she would only testify if granted clemency by former President Trump, a condition that sparked criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions during a closed-door deposition before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Monday, lawmakers said.
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for her role in facilitating Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, declining to respond to substantive inquiries about her relationship with Epstein and potential co-conspirators.
Republican committee chair James Comer described the refusal as “very disappointing,” saying lawmakers had hoped to gain insight into Epstein’s network and the roles others may have played in enabling his crimes.
Maxwell’s attorney argued that she would be willing to testify fully only if granted clemency by former President Donald Trump, a stance that drew criticism from both Republican and Democratic members of the panel.
The deposition comes amid a wider congressional investigation and the recent release of millions of Department of Justice documents related to Epstein’s activities and associates.
