Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded the Fifth Amendement virtually before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday as part of a high-profile inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities and the federal government’s handling of related files.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for her role in aiding Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and is in custody at a federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas.
The co-conspirator was expected to invoke the Fifth Amendment on a “blanket basis” and refuse to answer substantive questions during the deposition, according to a letter from Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., sent to Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.
“Ghislaine Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions. This is obviously very disappointing,” Comer told reporters on Monday morning. “We had many questions to ask about the crime she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth to the American people and justice for the survivors. That’s what this investigation is about.”
Maxwell’s attorney, Davis Oscar Markus, told the committee that his client invoked her constitutional right and said that Maxwell would only answer questions if she is granted clemency by President Donald Trump.
“She must remain silent because Ms. Maxwell has a habeas petition currently pending that demonstrates that her conviction rests on a fundamentally unfair trial,” he added.
Comer told reporters on Monday he doesn’t support “any type of immunity or clemencies” for Maxwell.
The family of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of Epstein, sent a powerful letter to Maxwell on Monday. Giuffre’s allegations played a central role in renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s network and accountability for powerful figures connected to him, helping to bring global attention to issues of sex trafficking and survivor advocacy. Giuffre died by suicide last April.
“As Virginia said, ‘Ghislaine was a monster; she was often more vicious and cruel than Epstein. Put it this way Epstein was Pinocchio, and she was Geppetto. She was the guy controlling,’” Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law Sky and Amanda Roberts wrote in the letter to Maxwell.
In the letter, the pair demanded a thorough investigation into Maxwell’s actions. They suggested further punishment if warranted by any new evidence and also vowed to “not stop until justice is served.”
“Ghislaine, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell. Trapped in a cage forever just like you trapped your victims,” the letter added, emphasizing that those were Giuffre’s “last wishes” for Maxwell.
Democrats immediately criticized Maxwell’s refusal to answer questions following the deposition. “Who is she protecting? And we need to know why she’s been given special treatment at a low security prison by the Trump Administration. We are going to end this White House cover-up,” Ranking Member Robert Garcia of Californina said in a statement. The deposition comes as Congress renews its push to review millions of internal Department of Justice documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that have been released in recent weeks. Some have sparked questions about transparency and redaction practices at the DOJ. Beginning Monday, Congress will be able to view unredacted versions of the publicly released documents after bipartisan lawmakers expressed frustration over the heavy redactions that they argue have obscured key details. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., began reviewing the files on Monday morning, a spokesperson told MS NOW. Some lawmakers have also sought additional testimony from other figures who appear in the documents, including former President Bill Clinton — who was pictured in the files released in December — and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After months of back-and-forth with the committee, the Clintons agreed to testify at the end of the month. Despite pushing for a public deposition, Comer has demanded a closed-door, filmed deposition. He accused the Clintons of trying to “muddy the waters and create a false narrative” by requesting a public hearing. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse released an emotional ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday, urging full transparency in the ongoing release of the files tied to the investigation. The 3-minute video, produced with the advocacy group World Without Exploitation, featured survivors holding photos of themselves as children and calls on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to make all remaining documents public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. “Stand with us — tell Attorney General Pam Bondi it’s time for the truth,” the ad said.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. Recommended
