Ghislaine Maxwell Invokes Fifth Amendment Rights in Congressional Epstein Investigation
Disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination on Monday, February 9, refusing to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee during a closed-door deposition. The session was part of the committee's investigation into the federal government's handling of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's case.
Deposition Ends Quickly After Virtual Appearance
The deposition concluded less than an hour after it began, shortly after Maxwell appeared virtually before lawmakers from her prison facility. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence at a federal prison in Texas following her December 2021 conviction as an accomplice in Epstein's sex trafficking operation.
At the time of her sentencing, the Department of Justice stated that Maxwell had "enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways" as part of Epstein's scheme to sexually exploit and traffic underage girls.
Committee Leadership Anticipated Fifth Amendment Plea
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and committee member Ro Khanna had both indicated ahead of the session that they expected Maxwell to decline answering questions. Comer had announced plans to depose Maxwell late last month while discussing efforts to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for declining to appear before the committee.
"We've been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that she's going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee," Comer stated previously.
Prolonged Negotiations Preceded Deposition
Comer's office had been engaged in prolonged negotiations with Maxwell's legal team to secure her appearance. A previous deposition scheduled for August was postponed at her lawyer's request, pending a Supreme Court decision on whether it would hear her appeal. The Supreme Court declined to take up the case in October.
Clinton Testimonies and Broader Investigation Context
Contempt proceedings against the Clintons stalled after they agreed through their attorneys to testify in person on Capitol Hill, just days before the House was expected to vote on referring them to the Department of Justice for possible criminal charges.
Maxwell's deposition, alongside the planned testimonies of the Clintons, forms part of the committee's ongoing investigation into how authorities handled Epstein's case. The broader probe examines multiple aspects of the government's response to allegations surrounding Epstein's extensive sex trafficking network.
The committee continues to gather information and testimony as it examines the institutional handling of one of the most high-profile sexual exploitation cases in recent American history.
