Convicted sex offender and longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell declined on Monday to answer questions from US lawmakers, with her attorney saying she would testify if granted clemency by President Donald Trump.
Maxwell, 64, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, had been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to discuss her relationship with Epstein and others connected to his criminal network.
Appearing via video link from a Texas prison, the former British socialite repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. A recording released by the committee showed Maxwell seated in a beige prison uniform, her gaze fixed downward, as she declined to respond to questions about Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators, his ties to wealthy and powerful figures, and whether Trump had ever engaged in sexual activity with individuals introduced by Maxwell or Epstein.
“I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to silence,” Maxwell said repeatedly, prompting the committee to end the deposition early.
Her lawyer, David Markus, later said Maxwell was willing to speak publicly if she received clemency from Trump.
“If this Committee and the American public truly want to hear the unfiltered truth about what happened, there is a straightforward path,” Markus said in a statement.
He also asserted that Trump and former president Bill Clinton — both of whom had past social ties with Epstein — were innocent of any wrongdoing. “Ms Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation,” he added.
Maxwell is the only person convicted in connection with Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2021, she was found guilty of recruiting and supplying underage girls to Epstein, whose network included prominent politicians, business leaders, celebrities and academics.
Her deposition comes as the US Justice Department releases millions of documents related to its Epstein investigation under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), passed by Congress in November. The law mandates disclosure of all Epstein-related records, while allowing redaction only to protect victims’ identities — estimated by the FBI to exceed 1,000.
The legislation bars withholding or redacting information on the grounds of embarrassment, reputational harm or political sensitivity, including for public officials and foreign dignitaries.
On Monday, members of Congress were granted access to unredacted versions of the files at secure Justice Department locations. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said the files contained the names of individuals who had been redacted from public releases for unclear reasons, including alleged “enablers and cooperators.”
Republican Representative Thomas Massie said he identified six men whose names were removed from public documents and who he claimed were potentially implicated. He declined to name them but said one held a senior position in a foreign government. Massie also posted a 2009 email exchange involving Epstein and a redacted sender discussing a “torture video,” which he suggested involved a “Sultan,” urging the Justice Department to disclose the individual’s identity.
Later, Massie said on CNN that billionaire businessman Les Wexner — founder of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company — was listed as a “co-conspirator” in a 2019 child sex trafficking case in a document he said had been improperly redacted.
The House Oversight Committee has also summoned former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton to testify about their interactions with Epstein. The Clintons have requested that their depositions be held publicly to prevent what they say could be political manipulation.
Trump, who was once socially close to Epstein, has not been called to testify by the Republican-led committee.