Ghislaine Maxwell will appear virtually before the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on February 9, despite plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The appearance follows mounting pressure from Democrats for her testimony in the committee's ongoing examination of Jeffrey Epstein's network and the government's handling of related records.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking. Committee chairman James Comer announced the deposition date after months of attempting to secure her testimony. «Her lawyers have made it clear that she's going to plead the Fifth,» Comer said. «I hope she changes her mind, because I want to hear from her.»
The committee has refused to grant Maxwell immunity in return for testimony. She was originally subpoenaed in July 2025 to appear the following month. The US Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal against her conviction in October.
Political Pressure Intensifies
Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking Democratic committee member, accused the US Department of Justice of giving Maxwell special treatment. «For months, Ghislaine Maxwell has defied the subpoena ordering her to testify to the Oversight Committee,» Garcia said in a statement Wednesday.
He added: «After pressure from Oversight Democrats, Chairman Comer has finally decided to call her in to testify. But let's be clear: the coverup is continuing. She has gotten special treatment from the DOJ for months. Let's end the coverup now.»
Contempt Resolutions Against Clintons
The committee also voted to advance contempt of Congress resolutions against former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton for declining to comply with subpoenas regarding their friendships with Epstein. The Clintons have challenged the subpoenas, asserting they serve no legislative purpose.
Angel Urena, spokesman for the Clintons, posted on X that «both Clintons have been out of office for over a decade. Neither had anything to do with him for more than 20 years.» The Clintons have submitted written statements and their lawyers have been negotiating with Comer.
US law mandates that Epstein-related documents should only be withheld to protect victims' identities or active criminal investigations. Democrats have been pressuring for contempt charges against both Maxwell and US attorney general Pam Bondi over delayed release of Epstein-related documents.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
