Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday.
When she made a virtual appearance before the committee she invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. When asked to answer questions, she said she would only open up to the panel under one condition.
According to Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, she would only be willing to cooperate if President Donald Trump grants her clemency and would then testify that Trump is “innocent of any wrongdoing.”
“As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the Fifth and refused to answer any questions. This obviously is very disappointing,” chairman James Comer told the press after the 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 for the American people and justice for survivors.”
According to the BBC, Comer stated that the committee has scheduled five more depositions as part of its investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein. Among those people set to testify are three of Epstein’s inner circle, namely Les Wexner, Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke. According to Comer, Wexner was one of his clients and a longtime benefactor, while Kahn was his accountant, and Indyke was his lawyer.
Acting for Maxwell, David Markus read a statement to the Oversight panel. In his statement he revealed that his client had to keep silent due to a pending legal petition filed with the federal court in New York. However, he did say that if she received clemency from Trump, she would speak up.
“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. “Only she can provide the complete account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. 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.”
When Ghislaine Maxwell was asked about Epstein’s love for young girls by a friend, she said to her:
“They’re Nothing. These Girls. They Are Trash.’”
She collected these children off the street. She convinced them it would be safe. She is just as much of a monster as he was. pic.twitter.com/9tmsLTvEAZ
— Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) February 7, 2026
Meanwhile, Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said Maxwell was refusing to answer questions to protect others. He also said Maxwell is already receiving “special treatment” by the Trump administration. After meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in summer, she was transferred from a low-security correctional institute in Florida to a minimum security prison camp in Texas.
“After months of defying our subpoena, Ghislaine Maxwell finally appeared before the Oversight Committee and said nothing. She answered no questions and provided no information about the men who raped and trafficked women and girls,” Garcia said in a statement.
Moreover, Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, told the press after the deposition that Maxwell’s lawyer said she had no indication that either Trump or former President Bill Clinton are culpable for any wrongdoing relating to Epstein.
However, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, said that Maxwell’s deal for clemency would mean that Trump and Clinton would both be absolved as part of the effort to drum up support.
“This is all strategy for her to try to get a pardon from President Trump, and she’s never shown any remorse for the victims in this entire case,” he told reporters. Subramanyam added that Maxwell was “unrepentant” and “robotic” in her appearance before lawmakers.
Ghislaine Maxwell faced conviction on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2021, for her part in sexually exploiting and abusing minor girls for Jeffrey Epstein. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Maxwell was subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee for testimony in July 2025. Following that, Markus told Comer in a letter that she would be willing to answer questions from the committee. However, this would only be if they granted her immunity, or alternatively if she received clemency from Trump. Markus stressed that that failing that, she would have to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights.
The latest situation with Maxwell is in contrast to how she participated in an interview with Blanche in July last year. According to a transcript released by the Justice Department, that interview went on for two days, with Maxwell answering questions about her relationship with Epstein and others in his circle. Shortly after meeting with Blanche she was moved to the prison camp in Bryan, Texas, which gives her a more pleasant stay while paying for her crime.
Meanwhile, prosecutors place her at the center of the sex-trafficking ring and for around a decade, Maxwell helped Epstein recruit, abuse and groom victims, mostly under the age of 18. Maxwell cam be seen extensively in records released by the Justice Department recently, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Passed by Congress, and signed by Trump in November, the law required the Justice Department to make public its material related to investigations into Epstein and Maxwell. The Oversight Committee has now demanded documents from the Justice Department and Epstein’s estate as part of its own probe into Epstein’s estate.
Moreover, it has also issued subpoenas to several former attorneys general and FBI directors, as well as Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While the Clintons initially refused demands for their testimony, calling the subpoenas “invalid and legally unenforceable,” they did agree to appear for depositions later in February after facing a contempt of Congress vote.
