Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Monday.
Maxwell appeared virtually for a closed-door testimony from a Texas prison, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said that, “as expected,” Maxwell invoked the Fifth Amendment, exercising her right to remain silent.
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants individuals the right to avoid self-incrimination by refusing to answer questions while under oath.
Democratic Representative Melanie Stansbury told reporters after the hearing that Maxwell took advantage of this protection.
Comer stated that, based on conversations with Epstein’s survivors, it was clear that “Maxwell was a very bad person” who did not deserve any form of immunity.
In an earlier social media post, Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, said that Maxwell was “prepared to speak fully and truthfully if President Trump were to grant her clemency.”
“Only she can provide the full account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters,” he wrote.
In a letter sent to the House Oversight Committee prior to Maxwell’s testimony, a group of Epstein survivors urged lawmakers to be skeptical of any information provided by Maxwell. They criticized her for refusing to identify “many powerful men” allegedly involved in Epstein’s trafficking network.
The White House has previously stated that “no relief will be given or discussed” in relation to Maxwell.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in recruiting underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. Epstein died in prison in 2019.
