Fifth Amendment Standoff on Capitol Hill
Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee on Monday, invoking her Fifth Amendment rights during a video deposition. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Texas federal prison for sex trafficking, but lawmakers are pressing for answers as new investigations into Epstein’s network gain momentum.
Clemency Offer Tied to Testimony
While declining to testify, Maxwell signaled through her lawyer that she would be willing to cooperate if granted a pardon by President Donald Trump. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, told lawmakers that Maxwell would testify that neither Trump nor former President Bill Clinton engaged in wrongdoing related to Epstein. Both men had social ties to Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, and Trump’s name appears frequently in recently released documents tied to the case. Markus argued that Maxwell alone could explain the nature of those relationships and said the public deserved clarity.
Lawmakers Reject Any Deal
The response from Congress was swift and hostile. Lawmakers from both parties accused Maxwell of trying to leverage her silence for personal gain. Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury said it was obvious Maxwell was “campaigning for clemency,” while Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna posted blunt messages rejecting any possibility of leniency. “NO CLEMENCY. You comply or face punishment,” Luna wrote online.
Maxwell continues to claim she was wrongly convicted. Although the Supreme Court rejected her appeal last year, her legal team has asked a federal judge to review what they describe as new evidence and constitutional violations during her trial. The renewed attention comes as millions of Epstein-related documents have been released, intensifying scrutiny over how Epstein was able to abuse underage girls for years and who may have helped enable those crimes.
