Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee yesterday, with her lawyer stating that the convicted criminal would only give them the answers they want on one condition.
Maxwell sat down for a congressional hearing on February 9 in New York, where she is currently behind bars having been convicted for her role in a scheme to sexual exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade.
In 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes believed to have taken place between 1994 to 2004.
The congressional oversight committee is continuing to investigate Epstein's crimes and grilled Maxwell yesterday in the hopes of getting more information about him, as well as those who took part in the sexual abuse hundreds of women allege that they were subjected to.
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But Maxwell pleaded the Fifth Amendment when asked any questions at the advice of her lawyer, David Markus.
What Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer said
Before stating her name, Markus interjected and said: "If this committee and the American public truly want to hear the unfiltered truth about what happened, there is a straightforward path.
"Ms Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump."
"Only she can provide a complete account," he continued to state, "and some might not like what they hear, but the truth matters."
Markus went on to say that Trump and former president Bill Clinton are 'innocent of any wrongdoing' and that Maxwell is able to explain why.
"The public is entitled to hear that explanation," he added his is message to the committee.
Following his remarks Maxwell proceeded to refuse to answer any questions in the less than 20 minute-long hearing.
Why she pleaded the Fifth
Explaining why he advised his client to remain schtum, Markus said: "On my advice, Ghislaine Maxwell will respectfully invoke her fifth amendment right to silence and decline to answer questions today even though she would very much like to answer your questions.
"She must remain silent because Ms Maxwell has a habeas petition currently pending that demonstrates that her conviction rests on a fundamentally unfair trial."
What Maxwell was accused of
Per the United States Attorney's office, Maxwell – who was once said to have been a romantically involved with Epstein – assisted, facilitated, and participated in disgraced financier Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping him to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18.
As of November 2025, the Justice Department said that at least 1,000 women were victimized by Epstein, said USA Today.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Topics: Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Sexual Abuse, Crime, Politics, US News
Niamh Shackleton