The House Oversight Committee plans to depose Ghislaine Maxwell next month as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, according to committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.).
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Texas for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors, is scheduled to testify virtually on February 9 in a closed session. During Wednesday’s hearing, Comer stated that Maxwell “will be deposed by this committee” and expressed hope she would change her mind about invoking the Fifth Amendment. However, David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s attorney, wrote Tuesday that his client will invoke her privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer questions.
Markus claimed moving forward with the deposition would serve “no other purpose than pure political theater and a complete waste of taxpayer monies.” He noted that Maxwell’s post-conviction litigation is far from over, referencing a pending habeas petition seeking to vacate her conviction. Filed in December, the petition argues her conviction must be voided because a juror provided false answers during selection, concealing “a history of sexual abuse directly relevant to ‘issues at trial.’” Maxwell also claims prosecutors concealed a detective’s grand jury testimony that “conflicted with his trial testimony.”
Comer disputed Democrats’ accusations that he treats Maxwell differently from Bill and Hillary Clinton. He stated Maxwell has been willing to appear before the committee, while the Clintons have “refused to appear,” ignoring subpoenas entirely. Comer referenced a counterproposal from the Clintons: if allowed to avoid appearing, they would permit one staffer to accompany him to their home for notes without a transcript. He called such proposals “unacceptable.” The committee has negotiated with the Clintons’ legal team for five months.
