Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker, has responded defiantly to a subpoena from House Republicans seeking information about her former associate, Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell's legal team has indicated that she will not testify unless granted immunity, a demand that has been met with firm resistance.
According to the Western Journal, Maxwell's request for immunity was promptly rejected by the House Oversight Committee. A spokesperson for the committee stated that they "will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony."
The subpoena was issued last week by Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky. Comer, citing media reports that Maxwell was willing to cooperate with Congress, requested her to appear for an interview at the federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, where she is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking in collaboration with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
In response to the subpoena, David Oscar Markus, Maxwell's attorney, outlined several conditions for his client's testimony. In a letter dated Tuesday, Markus stated that an interview in prison and without immunity were "non-starters." He argued that "Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity."
Markus also expressed concerns about the potential for leaks and the impact on the integrity of the process, stating that a prison setting was not conducive to eliciting truthful and complete testimony. He criticized members of Congress for prejudging Maxwell's credibility without hearing her side of the story or examining the documentation supporting it.
Markus further noted that Maxwell has an appeal pending before the Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. He warned that any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool.
However, Markus did propose an alternative. He suggested that if Maxwell were granted clemency, she would be willing to testify openly and honestly before Congress in Washington, D.C. He stated that Maxwell "welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning."
In his letter, Markus also claimed that Maxwell had been subjected to unfair treatment, including nearly two years of pretrial detention under conditions that violated her constitutional rights. He asserted that Maxwell did not receive a fair trial and referred to a 2008 document that allegedly stated she would not be prosecuted.
Maxwell's recent meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, as part of the Justice Department's efforts to uncover and release information on Epstein, has reignited public interest in the case. This comes after a Justice Department memo stating that it had no client list and would release no further information on Epstein sparked public outrage.
While Maxwell's legal team continues to negotiate the terms of her potential testimony, the House Oversight Committee remains steadfast in its refusal to grant her immunity. The unfolding saga underscores the ongoing quest for truth and justice in the Epstein case, a quest that continues to captivate and frustrate the public.
Login