Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded the Fifth Amendment while appearing virtually before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday as part of a high-profile inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities and the federal government’s handling of related files.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for her role in aiding Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and is in custody at a federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas.
The co-conspirator invoked her right to remain silent on a “blanket basis” and refused to answer substantive questions during the deposition.
“Ghislaine Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions. This is obviously very disappointing,” Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters on Monday morning. “We had many questions to ask about the crime she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth to the American people and justice for the survivors. That’s what this investigation is about.”
Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told the committee that his client invoked her constitutional right and said that Maxwell would answer questions only if she is granted clemency by President Donald Trump.
“Only she can provide the complete account,” he said. “Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing.”
Comer told reporters on Monday he doesn’t support “any type of immunity or clemencies” for Maxwell.
The family of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of Epstein, sent a powerful letter to Maxwell on Monday. Giuffre’s allegations played a central role in renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s network and accountability for powerful figures connected to him, helping to bring global attention to issues of sex trafficking and survivor advocacy. Giuffre died by suicide last April.
“As Virginia said: ‘Ghislaine was a monster; she was often more vicious and cruel than Epstein. Put it this way Epstein was Pinocchio, and she was Geppetto. She was the guy controlling,’” Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law Sky and Amanda Roberts wrote in the letter to Maxwell.
In the letter, the pair demanded a thorough investigation into Maxwell’s actions. They suggested further punishment if warranted by any new evidence and also vowed to “not stop until justice is served.”
“Ghislaine, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell. Trapped in a cage forever just like you trapped your victims,” the letter added, emphasizing that those were Giuffre’s last wishes for Maxwell.
Democrats immediately criticized Maxwell’s refusal to answer questions following the deposition.
“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,” Ranking Member Robert Garcia of California said in a statement.
“She has no remorse. She is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women. She doesn’t care,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told reporters Monday.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia argued Maxwell’s unwillingness to cooperate is a “strategy for her to try to get a pardon from President Trump.”
The deposition comes as Congress renews its push to review millions of internal Department of Justice documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that have been released in recent weeks. Some have sparked questions about transparency and redaction practices at the DOJ.
On Monday, Congress began reviewing unredacted versions of the publicly released documents after bipartisan lawmakers expressed frustration over the heavy redactions that they say have obscured key details.
Some lawmakers have also sought additional testimony from other figures who appear in the documents, including former President Bill Clinton — who was pictured in the files released in December — and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After months of back-and-forth with the committee, the Clintons agreed to testify at the end of the month. Despite pushing for a public deposition, Comer has demanded a closed-door, filmed deposition. He accused the Clintons of trying to “muddy the waters and create a false narrative” by requesting a public hearing.
Survivors of Epstein’s abuse released an emotional ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday, urging full transparency in the ongoing release of the files tied to the investigation. The video, produced with the advocacy group World Without Exploitation, featured survivors holding photos of themselves as children and calling on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to make all remaining documents public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“Stand with us — tell Attorney General Pam Bondi it’s time for the truth,” the ad said.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at CNN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.