Ghislaine Maxwell refuses to answer questions during congressional hearing

WASHINGTON — Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee during a deposition on Monday.Maxwell appeared virtually for a closed-door deposition from the Texas prison where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.Republican House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said that “as expected”, Maxwell pleaded the Fifth Amendment, invoking her right to remain silent.The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution gives Americans the right to avoid self-incrimination by refusing to answer questions while under oath.”This is obviously very disappointing,” he said. “We had many questions to ask about the crimes 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, that’s what this investigation is about,” Comer added.In a video released by the committee, Maxwell can be seen being questioned during a video call, in which she pleaded her Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering the questions.Lawmakers are searching for any individuals who could be connected to Epstein and who facilitated the abuse. It is known that in the 1990s and early 2000s both Clinton and Trump, who is mentioned more than 1,000 times in the recently released documents, spent time with Epstein.Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told the committee in a statement that “Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.” Markus added that the President and former President “are innocent of any wrongdoing,” but that only “Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation.”Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in luring underage girls for Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.Meanwhile, both Republicans and Democrats pushed back against Maxwell’s plea to have her prison sentence ended. New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury said, “It’s very clear she’s campaigning for clemency.” Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna wrote about Maxwell in multiple social media posts, including “NO CLEMENCY. You comply or face punishment,” as well as, “You deserve JUSTICE for what you did, you monster.”In a letter addressed to Comer before the deposition, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said he planned to ask Maxwell about a court document she filed last year saying there were “four named co-conspirators” and 25 others who were not indicted as part of the Epstein investigation.Maxwell has been seeking to overturn her conviction, arguing that she was wrongfully convicted. The Supreme Court rejected her appeal last year, but in December she asked a federal judge in New York to review what her lawyers describe as “substantial new evidence,” claiming her trial was tainted by constitutional violations.Following the recent release of millions of documents in the Epstein case, the British woman has come under renewed scrutiny as lawmakers try to investigate how the late sex offender abused girls who appeared as young as 11, according to a lawsuit filed by the government of the US Virgin Islands. — Agencies