Ghislaine Maxwell Shuts Down House Grilling In Under An Hour

Maxwell, appearing remotely from a federal prison in Texas where she is serving a 20-year sentence, had been summoned for a closed-door interview as part of a bipartisan House inquiry into the federal governments handling of the Epstein scandal. According to Fox News, the session ended almost as soon as it began, underscoring how difficult it has been for Congress and the public to obtain a full accounting of who enabled Epstein and who may still be shielded from scrutiny.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., emerged from the aborted deposition visibly frustrated, saying the panel had been prepared to press Maxwell on the full scope of her conduct and that of others in Epsteins orbit. As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions. This is obviously very disappointing, Comer told reporters, adding, We had many questions to ask about the crime she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators. We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people and justice for the survivors.

Comer said Maxwells attorney made clear she would only cooperate under one extraordinary condition: a grant of clemency from President Donald Trump. That demand immediately injected presidential politics into an already explosive case, with Democrats seizing on the claim to pressure Trump publicly while Republicans emphasized the need to follow the evidence wherever it leads, without partisan spin.

Democrats on the committee, speaking after Comer, accused Maxwell of using the deposition as a platform to advance what they described as a self-serving bid for a pardon. What we did get was another episode in her long-running campaign for clemency from President Trump, and President Trump could end that today, said Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., who then escalated his rhetoric by declaring, He could rule out clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, the monster. The question for all of us today is why hasnt he done that?

Republicans pushed back on efforts to turn the hearing into a political cudgel against Trump, stressing that the committees mandate is to uncover institutional failures and identify any co-conspirators, regardless of party. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who also attended the deposition, said Maxwell gave no indication that either Trump or former President Bill Clinton were implicated in any wrongdoing related to Epstein, a point that undercuts years of speculation and partisan narratives on both sides.

Maxwell, a former British socialite, was convicted in December 2021 for her role in Epsteins scheme to sexually traffic and exploit underage girls, a conviction that confirmed what many victims had long alleged about a sophisticated network of abuse. At the time of her sentencing, the Department of Justice stated that Maxwell enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways, language that underscored the gravity of her crimes and the moral imperative for a thorough investigation into who else may have been involved.

Comer announced late last month that Maxwell would finally appear before the committee, doing so during a meeting in which lawmakers weighed holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the Epstein probe. Weve been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that shes going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee, Comer said at the time, signaling his determination to pierce years of stonewalling and legal maneuvering.

Those contempt proceedings against the Clintons were paused after their attorneys agreed that both would appear in person on Capitol Hill, just days before the full House was expected to vote on referring them to the Department of Justice for possible criminal charges. The agreement marked a rare concession from two of the Democratic Partys most powerful figures and reflected the mounting pressure from a Republican-led House determined to expose how politically connected elites may have escaped accountability in the Epstein saga.

Comers staff had been engaged in months of back-and-forth with Maxwells legal team to secure a firm date for her testimony, a process repeatedly delayed by her appeals and procedural tactics. He previously agreed to postpone a planned August deposition at the request of Maxwells attorney, who asked the committee to wait until the Supreme Court decided whether to hear her appeal, a request that became moot when the Court declined to take up her case in October.

The depositions of Maxwell and the Clintons form part of the Oversight Committees broader, months-long investigation into how federal agencies, prosecutors, and other institutions handled Epsteins case, including his controversial 2008 plea deal and his death in custody. For conservatives, the probe represents an overdue effort to confront a pattern in which powerful figures appear to operate under a different set of rules than ordinary Americans, raising serious questions about equal justice under the law.

Comer told reporters on Monday that the committees work is far from over, outlining at least five additional depositions scheduled in the coming weeks as lawmakers continue to map Epsteins network and the governments response.

Those witnesses include former Victorias Secret CEO Les Wexner on February 18, Hillary Clinton on February 26, Bill Clinton on February 27, Epstein accountant Richard Khan on March 11, and Epstein attorney Darren Indyke on March 19, a lineup that suggests Congress is finally prepared to confront the uncomfortable intersection of political power, corporate influence, and systemic failure that allowed Epsteins crimes to persist for years.