Ghislaine Maxwell declined to answer questions on Feb. 9 in the House Oversight Committee’s probe of her longtime confidant, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right, which protects one from self-incrimination, in response to questions from the committee. She was interviewed by video conference as she was in a federal prison in Texas, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
“As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the Fifth and refused to answer any questions. This obviously is very disappointing,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters after the deposition.
“We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people and justice for survivors.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) wrote in a Feb. 8 letter to Comer that Maxwell pleading the Fifth “appears inconsistent with Ms. Maxwell’s prior conduct, as she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss substantially similar subject matter.”
Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, told lawmakers that his client would be willing to testify that neither President Donald Trump nor former President Bill Clinton engaged in wrongdoing in their relationships with Epstein, according to both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who spoke after the closed-door deposition with Maxwell.
Democrats pushed back on the offer, arguing that it was an attempt to appeal directly to Trump for leniency.
“It’s very clear she’s campaigning for clemency,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said.
“After months of defying our subpoena, Ghislaine Maxwell finally appeared before the Oversight Committee and said nothing,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the committee’s ranking Democrat member, said in a statement. “She answered no questions and provided no information about the men who raped and trafficked women and girls.”
Ahead of the deposition, Markus said in an X post that Maxwell would plead the Fifth because of the appeal of her 2021 conviction. He also said that Maxwell “is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.”
Maxwell is continuing efforts to overturn her conviction, maintaining that she was wrongfully convicted. Although the Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal, she has asked a federal judge in New York to review what her attorneys describe as “substantial new evidence,” alleging that her trial was tainted by constitutional violations.
Maxwell’s deposition took place as lawmakers continue to search for individuals who may have helped facilitate Epstein’s sexual abuse of women and girls. He was under indictment for sex trafficking when he was found dead in his New York City jail cell on Aug. 10, 2019.
Comer faced pressure to hold Maxwell’s deposition while pushing to enforce subpoenas against Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Comer threatened the pair with contempt of Congress, both agreed to sit for depositions later this month.
The deposition took place the same day that the Justice Department began allowing members of Congress to review unredacted files related to Epstein, according to a letter sent to lawmakers.
The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, states that lawmakers may visit the Justice Department with 24 hours’ notice to review more than 3 million unredacted files. They are not permitted to bring anybody with them and may take notes but are barred from making electronic copies.
Congress passed legislation in November 2025, signed by Trump, that required the Justice Department to release the remaining files surrounding Epstein. While the department has released millions of pages of files, lawmakers say it has not revealed the entire batch as required by the law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
