WATCH: Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions about Epstein in House deposition, Comer says

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, refused to answer questions during a House Oversight Committee deposition held via video call from a Texas federal prison on February 9, 2026, as part of a broader congressional investigation into Epstein’s predatory network. Invoking her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, Maxwell declined to cooperate with lawmakers who are probing how Epstein evaded justice for decades. However, her legal team signaled a potential deal, suggesting that Maxwell would be willing to testify to the innocence of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton regarding their ties to Epstein if President Trump were to grant her clemency and end her incarceration. The high-stakes deposition was met with frustration from Committee Chair James Comer, who described the lack of participation as deeply disappointing. Democratic lawmakers characterized the move as a blatant attempt to campaign for a pardon, with Representative Suhas Subramanyam describing Maxwell’s demeanor during the brief encounter as robotic and unrepentant. While Maxwell continues to seek a vacatur of her conviction based on alleged constitutional violations during her original trial, she remains a central figure in the ongoing legislative effort to uncover the full extent of Epstein’s influence and potential facilitators. The political fallout from the session has been swift, with some Republicans, including Representative Anna Paulina Luna, vehemently rejecting the idea of clemency and demanding that Maxwell serve her full sentence. The committee’s work continues to intensify as it enforces subpoenas against other high-profile figures. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have reportedly agreed to sit for their own depositions later this month following threats of contempt charges, while lawmakers simultaneously review unredacted Department of Justice files related to the original Epstein investigation.