Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions during a closed-door congressional deposition on Monday, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The move drew sharp criticism from Representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat and ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, who accused her of protecting powerful individuals and suggested a White House cover-up.
Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for luring teenage girls into Jeffrey Epstein's abusive orbit, appeared before the committee after months of defying a subpoena. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, stated that she would remain silent due to a pending habeas petition challenging her conviction as fundamentally unfair. Markus added that Maxwell would be willing to speak fully if granted clemency by President Donald Trump, asserting that both Trump and former President Bill Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing.
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat co-sponsoring the Epstein Files Transparency Act, noted inconsistencies in Maxwell's stance. He pointed out that she had voluntarily answered questions during a two-day interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July, without invoking the Fifth Amendment. Khanna had planned to ask Maxwell about four named co-conspirators and 25 men she previously mentioned in a Supreme Court bid, who allegedly sexually abused minors at Epstein's island.
The White House declined to comment on the clemency issue, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously stating that Trump was not considering a pardon for Maxwell. Trump has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and has described the Epstein files as a hoax, despite signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law.
