The Republican chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Representative James Comer, announced on Wednesday that he would request Alan Dershowitz, former attorney for the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to appear before the panel as part of its investigation.
Committee's Decision Based on Testimony
Comer stated, "I am going to ask Alan Dershowitz to come in, we will have questions for him and we will give him an opportunity to come in." He added that the decision was driven by testimony from Lesley Groff, Epstein's longtime assistant, who testified before the committee on Tuesday, as well as a subsequent meeting with several Epstein survivors. "We will have questions for him and we will give him an opportunity to come in and answer several questions that arose yesterday based on Ms Groff's testimony and some things that some of the Epstein survivors said," Comer said.
Groff's Testimony and Background
The transcript of Groff's testimony has not yet been released. In her opening statement, Groff told lawmakers she had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes while working for him and described him as a "master manipulator and deceiver."
Dershowitz's Role and Denials
Dershowitz defended Epstein after his first arrest and was part of the legal team that negotiated Epstein's controversial 2008 plea deal. In 2014, Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre alleged Dershowitz sexually assaulted her as a teenager as part of Epstein's sex-trafficking operation. Dershowitz has strongly denied these claims and has never been charged. Giuffre sued Dershowitz for defamation in 2019 but dropped the lawsuit in 2022, stating she "may have made a mistake" in accusing him. Giuffre died in April 2025.
Dershowitz's Willingness to Testify
In a telephone interview with the Guardian on Wednesday, Dershowitz said he had "volunteered to testify" before the House committee, noting recent appearances on NewsMax where he expressed willingness. "I can present a much more nuanced and calibrated description of the complexity of these things," the Harvard Law professor said. He added, "I'm not a reluctant witness, I wanted to testify, as I said from day one, I want the truth to come out." Dershowitz also stated, "Everything I did in relation to the Epstein case, I'm proud of."
Dispute Over Origin of Request
Dershowitz claimed that NewsMax host Greta Van Susteren reached out to Comer's office on Tuesday about his willingness to testify, suggesting this prompted Comer's request. However, a spokesperson from Comer's office told the Guardian that "the House oversight committee will speak with anyone who has information about the federal government's handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases and their crimes." The spokesperson added that "yesterday Lesley Groff named, when asked who else should come before the committee, Alan Dershowitz" and that "Chairman Comer also met with survivors yesterday who also stated Dershowitz should be interviewed."
Dershowitz on Groff
Dershowitz told the Guardian he "hardly knew" Groff, seeing her only occasionally at Epstein's office. He said she may have arranged some flights for him when he traveled to speak with prosecutors, but he never had substantive conversations with her.
