Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, invoked the Fifth Amendment during the closed-door virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, according to Chairman James Comer and others who attended the session.
"This is obviously very disappointing," Comer told reporters after the brief 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 to the American people and justice for the survivors. That's what this investigation is about."
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It was expected that Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in Texas,would refuse to answer questionsfrom lawmakers and committee staffers as part of the panel's investigation into the late financier and his ties to some of the world's most powerful figures in politics, business and entertainment. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.
Maxwell has a petition pending in federal court in New York that seeks to overturn her conviction or reduce her sentence.
Maxwell's attorney "pointed out a number of times that she has a habeas corpus petition pending for new trial or release," Republican Rep. Andy Biggs said. "And that's why she is not going to answer questions."
Asked whether he suspects that Maxwell, who is now in a minimum-security prison in Texas, succumbed to political pressure by refusing to testify, Comer said he had "no idea."
"Unfortunately, she had an opportunity today to answer questions that every American has, questions that would be very important in this investigation, and she chose to invoke her Fifth Amendment," Comer said.
Despite Maxwell refusing to cooperate, Comer emphasized his committee's investigation will continue with five confirmed depositions "on the books" in the coming weeks, including Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire who was once Epstein's largest financial client, on Feb. 18.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clintonhas agreed to sit for a deposition on Feb. 26while former President Bill Clinton has agreed to a Feb. 27 deposition. Comer said that the committee will also interview Epstein's accountant and lawyer next month.
Biggs told reporters that Maxwell's lawyer read a statement at the outset of the deposition -- clearing both President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton "of any wrongdoing."
"One thing that the attorney for Ms. Maxwell said is that she has no indication and would say that neither Presidents Trump or Clinton are culpable for any wrongdoing," Biggs said.
AfterDeputy Attorney General Todd Blancheinterviewed Maxwell over two daysin a proffer session in July, Maxwell told Blanche that she never witnessed nor heard of any criminal or inappropriate activity by Trump, Clinton, nor any of the well-known men who associated with Epstein. Maxwell was moved to a federal minimum security prison in Texas, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed on Aug. 1.
Biggs said Monday that the lawyer continued to press for clemency in exchange for Maxwell's testimony -- a pitch her legal team has floatedsince last July.
Last month, Maxwell's attorney David O. Markus again asked Comer to delay any compelled testimony from Maxwell until her habeas proceedings have been resolved, but suggested there was one scenario that might change Maxwell's stance -- clemency from the president.
"Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing -- and eager -- to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C.," Markus wrote to the committee on Jan. 21. "She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning."
Democrats complained that Maxwell used the virtual deposition to renew her bid for clemency -- after Trump, in July,did not rule out pardoning Maxwell.
"Ghislaine Maxwell should have no hope of ever getting out of prison," Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam told reporters on Monday. "But today, she, through her lawyer, explicitly stated that she wants to be out of prison through a clemency that this president would grant."
Subramanyam claimed the hope of clemency is "why she's continuing to not cooperate with our investigation."
Comer also discouraged the president from granting Maxwell any form of clemency.
"Initially she had asked that the Oversight Committee grant immunity, and when we met with the survivors of Epstein it was pretty clear, according to the survivors -- and we had 20-some members in that meeting -- that Maxwell was a very bad person, and she committed a lot of crimes, and it was the intent, in my opinion, when we left that meeting in a bipartisan manner that we would not grant immunity," Comer explained. "Now, what she said today, she's asked for clemency from the president. So I personally, for the reasons you just stated, don't think she should be granted any type of immunity or clemency."
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said Maxwell has shown no remorse and "is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women."
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"I got news for you, Ms. Maxwell: we're not done. We're going to continue to go," Crockett said.
Maxwell's deposition was more than six months in the making, and was first requested last July, when Comerformally issued a subpoenafor a deposition with Maxwell to occur at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee on Aug. 11.
Comer agreed to delay the deposition as Maxwell awaited a Supreme Court ruling on her appeal,which she ultimately lost.
The closed deposition with Maxwell comes on the same day that members of Congress can go to the Department of Justice to view unredacted versions of the Epstein files that the department has withheld from public disclosure.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, invoked the Fifth Amendment during the closed-door v...
