Refusing to Testify
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee on Monday. Speaking via video call from her federal prison in Texas, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. Lawmakers are investigating individuals connected to Epstein who may have helped facilitate his abuse, which targeted girls as young as 11.
Clemency Conditional on Testimony
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told lawmakers that she would be willing to testify if granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump. Markus claimed Maxwell could confirm that neither Trump nor former President Bill Clinton engaged in wrongdoing with Epstein. Maxwell has positioned her potential testimony as contingent on clemency, asserting that she alone can provide certain explanations to the public.
Pushback and Legal Maneuvers
Maxwell’s request for clemency met strong resistance from both parties in Congress. Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury called it “a campaign for clemency,” while Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna wrote, “NO CLEMENCY. You comply or face punishment,” adding, “You deserve JUSTICE for what you did, you monster.” Maxwell is also pursuing legal avenues to overturn her conviction, claiming constitutional violations in her trial. The Supreme Court rejected her appeal last year, but she recently asked a federal judge in New York to review new evidence, keeping her in the spotlight amid ongoing investigations into Epstein’s crimes.
