Ghislaine Maxwell shut down a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee deposition Monday by invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, blocking lawmakers from obtaining new details about how her late accomplice, convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, carried out his crimes.
The virtual, closed-door interview ended in less than an hour after Maxwell declined to answer substantive questions, Fox News reported. The committee had hoped the session would shed light on Epstein’s operations, including the identities of any potential co-conspirators.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Maxwell’s refusal to testify was a major setback for the investigation.
“It’s obviously very disappointing,” Comer told reporters following the deposition. He said lawmakers were prepared to ask extensive questions about the crimes committed by Maxwell and Epstein, as well as about others who may have been involved. “We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people, and justice for the survivors. That’s what this investigation is about,” Comer said.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., also spoke briefly to reporters and shared details from Maxwell’s attorney’s opening statement. According to Biggs, Maxwell’s lawyer gave “no indication” that either President Donald Trump or former President Bill Clinton were culpable for any wrongdoing. Biggs said the attorney specifically stated that neither Trump nor Clinton was implicated.
The comments came just one day after Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he intended to ask Maxwell whether she or Epstein ever procured underage girls for Trump. The president has repeatedly denied any sexual misconduct and has pushed back forcefully against accusations tied to Epstein.
Trump has said that the most recent release of roughly 3.5 million Epstein-related files last month “absolve” him. He has also said he plans to sue author Michael Wolff, accusing him of conspiring with Epstein to damage his political career.
Ahead of the deposition, it was widely expected that Maxwell would refuse to answer questions. MSNBC reported that Maxwell planned to invoke the Fifth Amendment on a blanket basis. That expectation was outlined in a letter Khanna sent to Comer, which stated that Maxwell was anticipated to decline to respond to substantive inquiries.
Maxwell is currently serving a federal prison sentence for aiding Epstein’s sex crimes. Her refusal to testify means the committee was unable to extract any new firsthand information from one of the central figures in the Epstein scandal.
Despite the setback, Comer said the investigation is far from over. He told reporters that the Oversight Committee has five additional depositions scheduled as it continues to probe Epstein’s network and the broader circumstances surrounding his criminal enterprise.
Among those scheduled to appear before the committee later this month are former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to Comer. The chairman said the committee remains focused on uncovering facts and delivering accountability, even as key witnesses decline to cooperate.
Maxwell’s decision to plead the Fifth underscores the legal barriers facing congressional investigators and highlights the ongoing frustration for lawmakers seeking answers in one of the most notorious criminal cases in recent memory.
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