Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions from Congress on Monday, despite having previously spoken at length with federal officials.
Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a deposition before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform officials on February 9, declining to respond to substantive questions about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein and others in his orbit.
“As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the Fifth and refused to answer any questions. This obviously is very disappointing,” Chairman James Comer (R-KY) told reporters afterward, per CBS. He said the committee sought answers about “the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions bout potential co-conspirators.”
According to a letter dated February 8 from Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) to Comer, Maxwell planned to refuse to answer questions and instead read a prepared statement.
Khanna reportedly wrote that the move “appears inconsistent with Ms. Maxwell’s prior conduct,” noting that she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss similar subject matter.
Maxwell’s attorney, David Markus, told lawmakers she would be willing to testify if granted clemency by President Donald Trump.
“If this committee and the American public truly want to hear the unfiltered truth about what happened, there is a straightforward path. Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump,” Markus said, per CBS.
Markus added, “For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation.”
Her refusal contrasts with the interviews she gave federal officials in July 2025.
Audio later released by the Justice Department captured Maxwell discussing Epstein’s behavior and distancing former President Bill Clinton from wrongdoing, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Transcripts released in August 2025 also showed that Maxwell denied having seen Trump commit any misconduct.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence after her 2021 conviction on federal sex-trafficking charges related to Epstein.
