Ghislaine Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right during a closed-door virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee, Chairman James Comer said on Monday. The move was seen as disappointing by Comer, who had hoped to question Maxwell about the crimes she and Jeffrey Epstein committed, as well as potential co-conspirators.
The committee's investigation into Epstein's ties to powerful figures in politics, business, and entertainment is ongoing, despite Maxwell's refusal to cooperate. Five confirmed depositions are on the books for the coming weeks, including Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire who was once Epstein's largest financial client.
Maxwell has a petition pending in federal court in New York that seeks to overturn her conviction or reduce her sentence. Her lawyer had floated the idea of clemency from President Donald Trump as a way to get Maxwell to cooperate with the investigation. However, Comer said he doesn't think she should be granted any type of immunity or clemency.
The closed deposition was more than six months in the making and was first requested last July. Comer agreed to delay it as Maxwell awaited a Supreme Court ruling on her appeal, which she ultimately lost. Democrats criticized Maxwell's move, saying she is trying to use the possibility of clemency to avoid cooperation with the investigation.
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in Texas, has shown no remorse and "is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women," Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said. Comer also expressed his disappointment with Maxwell's move, saying it was "very disappointing" that she chose not to answer questions.
The investigation into Epstein's crimes and ties is ongoing, and the committee will continue to pursue its inquiry despite Maxwell's refusal to cooperate.
The committee's investigation into Epstein's ties to powerful figures in politics, business, and entertainment is ongoing, despite Maxwell's refusal to cooperate. Five confirmed depositions are on the books for the coming weeks, including Leslie Wexner, the retail billionaire who was once Epstein's largest financial client.
Maxwell has a petition pending in federal court in New York that seeks to overturn her conviction or reduce her sentence. Her lawyer had floated the idea of clemency from President Donald Trump as a way to get Maxwell to cooperate with the investigation. However, Comer said he doesn't think she should be granted any type of immunity or clemency.
The closed deposition was more than six months in the making and was first requested last July. Comer agreed to delay it as Maxwell awaited a Supreme Court ruling on her appeal, which she ultimately lost. Democrats criticized Maxwell's move, saying she is trying to use the possibility of clemency to avoid cooperation with the investigation.
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in Texas, has shown no remorse and "is not seeking to bring about some kind of closure for these women," Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said. Comer also expressed his disappointment with Maxwell's move, saying it was "very disappointing" that she chose not to answer questions.
The investigation into Epstein's crimes and ties is ongoing, and the committee will continue to pursue its inquiry despite Maxwell's refusal to cooperate.
! This is all about you and your sick buddy Jeffrey, isn't it? 
You think clemency from Trump would magically make you start talking, huh? 
Newsflash: it doesn't work that way, boo! And now you've gone and invoked your Fifth Amendment right... great job, real MVP. 
The committee won't back down, and neither should we! 
We want answers about what went down in that dark world of yours.
. You've had time to think, and now you're still trying to wriggle out of this? Sorry, girl, but your time is up 
I don't get why Ghislaine Maxwell is being so stubborn about this 
. It's like she thinks she can just use her Fifth Amendment right and avoid answering questions about some super serious stuff 
. And now Democrats are saying she's just trying to get a way out of cooperating by playing the clemency card 
. It's like, dude, you're in prison for 20 years already, what do you have to lose? 
. Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out 
.
so maxwell just invokes her 5th amendment right like it's no big deal... i'm kinda surprised she didn't think about the potential consequences before doing that 
. comer is literally throwing shade at her for trying to use clemency as an excuse to avoid answering questions 
. i don't think she's getting any sympathy from democrats 
.
. I feel bad for the victims' families who are still waiting for answers 
. The whole clemency thing is shady too 
. This just shows how hard it is to bring down the powerful and hold them accountable 
.
! I'm so frustrated with Ghislaine Maxwell right now. She had this chance to tell us everything she knew about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and connections to powerful people, but instead she just decided to play it safe 
. Can't she just own up to what happened?
. but at the same time, can we really blame her for trying to protect herself? she is facing a pretty harsh 20-year sentence after all 
. Can't wait for these depositions to go down and see if anyone else has a lot to say... or not 
. But now that she hasn't, it's making the whole investigation kinda frustrating 
. I feel bad for the women who were affected by his crimes, they deserve some answers 
.
.
. I get that it's a tough decision, but now Comer's all like "what's the point?" 
This whole thing just feels so... complicated 
. I hope Leslie Wexner gets grilled hard about his ties to Epstein - someone needs to hold those powerful people accountable! 
And Comer's all like "no clemency" for her 
.
. What's next, her gonna ask for a mental health eval? Gimme a break 
. Not to mention the women who were affected by Epstein and Maxwell's actions - it's like they're not even worth mentioning 
... It's like she's trying to buy her way out of this one 
. Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next