Everything you need to know about Ghislaine Maxwell at Epstein hearing | World | News
Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee on Monday (Image: US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/AFP via)
Everything you need to know after Ghislaine Maxwell stays silent at Epstein hearing
- Appearing via videolink from a Texas federal prison, Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee. She invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during the probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, frustrating lawmakers who sought details on potential co-conspirators and their crimes.
- Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus, utilised the hearing to openly campaign for a pardon from President Donald Trump. Markus stated that Maxwell would be prepared to “speak fully and honestly” if granted clemency, suggesting she possesses information that could explain the innocence of high-profile figures.
- The defence team asserted that Maxwell alone can explain why figures like Donald Trump and Bill Clinton are “innocent of any wrongdoing.” By withholding her testimony, her legal team positioned her as the gatekeeper of the “truth” regarding the well-connected financier’s associates.
- Committee Chairman James Comer expressed deep disappointment, noting that Maxwell should not be entitled to immunity. Despite a subpoena issued last year, Maxwell’s silence has blocked the committee from gathering further evidence on how Epstein exploited underage girls for years.
- Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. While her initial appeals were rejected, her attorneys continue to push for a conviction overturn, citing “substantial new evidence” of constitutional violations during her 2021 trial, which prosecutors described as a case against a “dangerous” predator.
