WASHINGTON — Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking scheme, repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, drawing sharp criticism from the panel's chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.
Comer described the virtual session as "very disturbing," telling Fox News' Sean Hannity that Maxwell's refusal to answer questions about the recruitment, grooming, and trafficking of underage girls showed a striking "lack of emotion." "When you're talking about underage girls and co-conspirators — and just the lack of emotion and the pleading the Fifth to avoid self-incrimination — it was very disturbing," Comer said.
The deposition is part of a bipartisan House investigation into how federal agencies handled Epstein's case before his death in 2019. Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022, appeared virtually from a low-security federal facility in Tallahassee, Florida, though she is set to serve her term in Texas.
During the roughly four-hour questioning, Maxwell responded to inquiries about her role in Epstein's crimes and potential co-conspirators with the same refrain more than 100 times: "I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to silence." The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from being compelled to incriminate themselves in criminal cases, a right Maxwell exercised amid ongoing scrutiny of Epstein's network.
Committee members, including Democrats and Republicans, pressed Maxwell on specifics of the trafficking operation that spanned from the 1990s to the mid-2000s. According to Comer, the session highlighted the gravity of the allegations, which involved enticing minors to travel across state lines for illegal sex acts. Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 on five counts, including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor for illegal sex acts, and sex trafficking of a minor.
The Department of Justice, in a statement following her trial, detailed how Maxwell "enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways," often under the guise of offering massages or career opportunities at Epstein's properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Victims testified that Maxwell participated directly in the abuse, normalizing it for girls as young as 14.
Comer's comments came amid broader tensions in the probe. Earlier this month, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a member of the committee, issued a pointed six-word rebuke toward former President Donald Trump in connection with the Epstein investigation: "You're not off the hook yet." Crockett's statement underscored Democratic frustrations with the inquiry's focus, though she has not elaborated further on Maxwell's deposition.
Democrats on the committee have also pushed back against Republican-led subpoenas for figures like former President Bill Clinton, arguing that his prior agreement to provide documents undercuts the need for compelled testimony. "This won't bring new Epstein answers," Democratic leaders said in a recent statement, emphasizing that Clinton has denied any involvement in Epstein's crimes and was not accused of wrongdoing in court documents.
Maxwell's attorney, in a letter to the committee prior to the deposition, reiterated an earlier offer: If granted clemency, Maxwell would reveal the "entire truth" about Epstein's operations. The proposal included claims that both Trump and Clinton were innocent of any misconduct related to the scandal. "Now she's come back and said, well, she'll talk if she's granted clemency by President Trump, and 'Oh, by the way, I can prove that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton both were innocent,'" Comer recounted on Hannity.
Comer dismissed the overture, noting it received "very little support" after consultations with Epstein's victims, who described "just horrible crimes committed by Ms. Maxwell." He added that any clemency decision would rest with Trump, should he return to the White House, but predicted scant public backing for such a move. Trump has previously distanced himself from Epstein, stating in 2019 that he had not spoken to the financier in 15 years and was "not a fan."
The House Oversight Committee's probe, launched in 2023, seeks to uncover why federal investigations into Epstein faltered for years despite tips from victims and law enforcement. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida, serving just 13 months with work release privileges, a deal criticized as lenient. The 2019 federal indictment alleged a vast conspiracy involving dozens of underage victims.
Maxwell's conviction marked a rare accountability in the saga, but questions linger about other enablers. Unsealed court documents from a 2015 defamation lawsuit by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre have named high-profile associates, though many, including Clinton and Trump, have not been charged. Giuffre alleged Epstein trafficked her to powerful men, claims Epstein and Maxwell denied before his death.
Victims' advocates, including those who testified in Maxwell's trial, have welcomed the congressional scrutiny but expressed skepticism about its outcomes. "The victims deserve full transparency," said one advocate, speaking on condition of anonymity due to ongoing sensitivities. The committee plans to release a transcript of Maxwell's deposition, potentially shedding light on unresolved aspects of the case.
As the investigation continues into 2024, with elections looming, the Epstein-Maxwell affair remains a flashpoint. Republicans like Comer have highlighted potential lapses under Democratic administrations, while Democrats accuse the probe of political theater. Maxwell, now 62, is appealing her conviction from the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, where she was initially held before transfer.
Looking ahead, the committee may subpoena additional witnesses, including former prosecutors and Epstein's estate executors. Comer's office indicated that follow-up hearings could address Maxwell's immunity offer, though sources close to the panel doubt it will gain traction. For the victims, whose stories fueled the #MeToo reckoning in elite circles, the deposition serves as a grim reminder of the long road to justice.
The Epstein scandal has rippled through American institutions, prompting reforms in how sex trafficking cases are prosecuted. The Department of Justice's recent report on Epstein's jail death criticized Bureau of Prisons lapses, leading to policy changes. Yet, as Comer noted, Maxwell's silence underscores the challenges in unraveling a network built on secrecy and influence.