Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth, doesn’t answer questions in House deposition

Washington — Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions during a virtual appearance before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday, chairman James Comer said.

“As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the Fifth and refused to answer any questions. This obviously is very disappointing,” Comer told reporters after the deposition. “We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions bout potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people and justice for survivors.”

Comer said the committee has five more depositions scheduled as part of its investigation into Epstein. Among those set to testify are three members of Epstein’s inner circle: Les Wexner, who was one of his clients and a longtime benefactor; Richard Kahn, his accountant; and Darren Indyke, his lawyer, Comer said.

“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,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said. “Who is she protecting? And we need to know why she’s been given special treatment at a low-security prison by the Trump administration. We are going to end this White House cover-up.”

Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, told reporters following the deposition that Maxwell’s lawyer said she has no indication that either Trump or former President Bill Clinton are culpable for any wrongdoing.

Maxwell was convicted of federal sex-trafficking charges in 2021 for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse minor girls with Epstein. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The lack of answers from Maxwell stands in contrast to an interview that she participated in with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July. The interview spanned two days, and Maxwell answered questions about her relationship with Epstein and others in his orbit.

At the time, Maxwell had been serving her sentence at a low-security federal correctional institution in Tallahassee, Florida. But shortly after meeting with Blanche, she was moved to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas. No reason was given for Maxwell’s transfer.

Prosecutors put Maxwell at the center of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring and said that for roughly a decade, she helped him recruit, groom and abuse victims who were under the age of 18. She shows up extensively in records released by the Justice Department in recent months under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The law, passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in November, required the Justice Department to make public all of its material related to its investigations into Epstein and Maxwell.

As part of its own probe of Epstein’s case, the Oversight Committee has demanded documents from the Justice Department and Epstein’s estate. It also issued subpoenas to a slew of former attorneys general and FBI directors, as well as Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While the Clintons initially rebuffed the demands for their testimony, calling the subpoenas “invalid and legally unenforceable,” they agreed to appear for depositions later this month after facing a contempt of Congress vote.