Maxwell plans to remain silent in congressional deposition

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, will not answer questions from the House Oversight Committee, according to her lawyer.

Maxwell is scheduled to appear virtually on Monday for a closed door deposition from a federal prison in Texas, where she is serving a 20 year sentence for sex trafficking. Her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, told the BBC that she will invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination.

Instead of responding to questions, Maxwell plans to read a prepared statement at the start of the deposition, according to Democratic Representative Ro Khanna.

Background to the investigation

A jury convicted Maxwell in 2021 for helping Epstein recruit and exploit underage girls. Epstein died in custody in 2019. Maxwell has since sought a presidential pardon and has faced accusations of misleading federal investigators.

The deposition follows renewed congressional interest after the United States Department of Justice released millions of pages related to the Epstein investigation under a law passed by Congress last year.

Questions lawmakers want answered

In a letter to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Khanna said he plans to ask Maxwell about a court filing in which she referred to four named co conspirators and 25 other individuals who were not charged.

He also said he intends to question her about Epstein’s social ties with Donald Trump, and whether Trump ever discussed a possible pardon for Maxwell with her legal team.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein and says he ended contact with him years ago. Epstein’s victims have not accused Trump of criminal conduct.

Dispute over prior cooperation

Khanna said Maxwell’s decision to remain silent appears inconsistent with her earlier actions. He noted that she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment during a July meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

According to a Justice Department transcript, Maxwell told Blanche that she did not witness inappropriate conduct by Trump or former President Bill Clinton. She also said that a widely rumored Epstein client list does not exist.

Delays and document access

Lawmakers originally scheduled Maxwell’s deposition for last August but postponed it at her lawyers’ request while awaiting a Supreme Court decision related to her case.

Members of Congress will begin reviewing unredacted versions of nearly three million pages from the Epstein investigation in person at the Justice Department on Monday, according to CBS.

Meanwhile, a group of Epstein survivors released a video on Sunday calling for greater transparency around redactions and unreleased records.

Blanche has rejected claims of a cover up, saying the department is not withholding evidence of unprosecuted individuals.