USA Committee: Epstein confidante Maxwell remains silent before Congress
Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell has refused to testify before Congress, according to James Comer, chairman of the relevant oversight committee of the House of Representatives. She had "as expected" exercised her Fifth Amendment right and did not answer any questions, the Republican said after a corresponding hearing. The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution stipulates, among other things, that no one may be compelled to testify against themselves in criminal proceedings.
09.02.2026, 17:45
SDA
Comer emphasized that he "knew nothing" about Maxwell being pressured not to answer questions. According to the media, Maxwell had been connected via video.
Maxwell was convicted in 2022. As a long-time confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, she is said to have introduced girls and young women to him. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence and, according to the media, is in a prison in Texas.
Lawyer: Hearing is "political theater"
Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus had already stated in a letter to committee chairman Comer on January 20 that his client would refuse to testify. As justification, the lawyer referred to ongoing legal proceedings.
According to Markus, testifying under oath would jeopardize Maxwell's constitutional claims and incriminate her under criminal law. A hearing under these circumstances would be "political theater and a complete waste of taxpayers' money".
The lawyer held out the prospect that Maxwell would be prepared to testify in public if he were pardoned. Committee Chairman Comer had recently stated that Maxwell's testimony was central to the congressional investigation.
