Maxwell Refuses to Answer Congress, Offers to Exonerate Trump If Granted Clemency
Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network, refused to answer questions during a deposition Monday before the U.S. House Oversight Committee but her lawyer made a stunning pitch to President Donald Trump.
Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, declining to provide testimony during the videoconference from the federal prison camp in Texas. According to lawmakers who emerged from the session, her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said Maxwell would speak “fully and honestly” if she were granted clemency by Trump — even offering to clear both Trump and former President Bill Clinton of wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) called her refusal disappointing, while Democrats condemned the clemency gambit as a self-serving bid for leniency that undermines the investigation into Epstein’s network. Maxwell’s silence came despite months of subpoenas from the panel, which is also pursuing testimony from other high-profile figures as part of its probe.
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Markus argued that Maxwell’s pending legal challenges and habeas petition made it imperative she stay silent without assurance of fair treatment, and said her testimony “can provide the complete account” of Epstein’s operations. But lawmakers dug in, rejecting calls for clemency and stressing that accountability, not pardon deals, should guide the inquiry.
The Trump White House has not signaled any move toward pardoning Maxwell, and senior Republicans have publicly opposed such action.
This extraordinary exchange adds a new flashpoint to the Epstein saga — raising questions about how far a convicted conspirator might go to secure her freedom, and what information she may withhold or reveal. The Oversight Committee will continue its investigation with additional scheduled depositions, and lawmakers are reviewing millions of pages of documents related to Epstein’s crimes.
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