Ghislaine Maxwell declines to answer questions from House committee
WASHINGTON - Lawmakers attempted Monday to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, but the former girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions.
Maxwell was scheduled to appear via video from the federal prison camp in Texas where she is serving a 20‑year sentence for sex trafficking. She has drawn renewed scrutiny as lawmakers investigate how Epstein, a well‑connected financier, was able to abuse underage girls for years.
Maxwell is seeking to overturn her conviction, arguing she was wrongfully found guilty.
READ MORE: Hillary Clinton calls for public hearing in Epstein probe
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attend de Grisogono Sponsors The 2005 Wall Street Concert Series Benefitting Wall Street Rising, with a Performance by Rod Stewart at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005, in New York City. (Getty Images)
Her deposition comes as lawmakers search for anyone who may have been connected to Epstein or helped facilitate his abuse. Several Democrats also planned Monday to review unredacted versions of the Epstein files the Justice Department released under a law Congress passed last year.
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Maxwell last year, and although her attorneys repeatedly told lawmakers she would not answer questions, Republican Chairman Rep. James Comer insisted on moving forward with the deposition.
Comer faced pressure to proceed as he pushed the committee to enforce subpoenas on former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
After Comer threatened contempt of Congress charges, both agreed to sit for depositions later this month.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press.